Results of endoscopic examination of the respiratory system in dogs

The article describes the technique of performing an endoscopic examination of the respiratory system in 24 patients. Indications for the study were any deviations from normal breathing, the presence of cough or spontaneous reverse sneezing, parenchymal diseases (alveolar, interstitial), noisy or labored breathing in brachycephalic breeds, as well as for assessing dynamic disturbances in the caliber of the respiratory tract in patients with clinical signs indicating this (cough like "goose cackle"). All patients belonged to different age groups and did not contact each other. The patient was positioned ventrally on the table, the table had a longitudinal slope from the endoscopist, i.e. the patient's head was slightly higher than the back of the body. The position of the examined animals "on the stomach" was used, which is considered generally accepted, in order to avoid any possible gravitational effects on the respiratory system. During the examination, the tracheal bifurcation was assessed for pathological changes (expansion, compression, mucosal infiltration, collapse, etc.), and then all lobar bronchi and as many segmental and subsegmental bronchi as possible were assessed (the latter, accessible for examination, vary depending on the diameter of the bronchoscope used and the patient's size). The picture in healthy dogs was V-shaped, with no signs of compression of the main bronchi or bronchial collapse. In the presence of inflammatory processes, these structures acquired a U-shape, usually accompanied by deterioration in the visibility of the vessels of the submucosal layer. The information content of the data obtained during bronchoscopy, in comparison with other methods of diagnosing respiratory diseases, can be considered one of the most preferable and justified methods, over other diagnostic methods.