Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Andrew Kent — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:17:58 GMT

[quote user="Kirsten Simpson"]

Forgot to post with all the madness that was Christmas! Had him back in Xmas eve, sedated him and removed 700mls from the RHS and 280mls from the LHS! (Right was more than he Left which threw me). Re-xrayed and much better, lungs fully inflated and no sign of a tumour. Warned the owner that it may recur and if it did to go to OOH. No reports through so far so hope he is ok? Might ring today and see how he is.

[/quote]

Thanks for the update Kirsten - most of these cases have a small bulla which can be difficult to see on radiographs - if it does recur then CT can be more sensitive to these or surgery if frequent recurrence.

Andy

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Anthony Todd — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 17:34:37 GMT

Google again gives this:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › NCBI › Literature › PubMed Central (PMC)

Sounds like it's well recognised in people.

I only knew it was called "spontaneous pneumothorax" and I've never seen it.

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Kirsten Simpson — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 08:57:48 GMT

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

mariette asselbergs — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 13:58:58 GMT

Wow, this must be what they call a tension pneumothorax? The ones that pump themselves up through a leak with a valve function?

Mariette

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Busybee — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:50:49 GMT

Adrian - great xrays! Think they call those 'The Angel Wings of Death'....though the VD view does make it look a little bit like a Christmas turkey!

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Adrian Caunter — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:49:36 GMT

This is my one from before. Impressive little thoracic chicken that I had for Easter last year. The rads were taken post mortem which probably tells you all you need to know about how the case went. I hope it makes you feel better to know that I struggled like hell to get a positive air tap from him despite how obviously full of air he was!

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Adrian Caunter — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:47:05 GMT

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Adrian Caunter — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:46:24 GMT

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Kirsten Simpson — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:30:32 GMT

Yeah its deffo not traumatic as he just toddles around with the owner. I said bulla to him as a possibility, plus infection and tumour so glad i covered all bases! Its now coming back in to orrow for a light sedation (again :() so i can try and drain it. So annoying!

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Adrian Caunter — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 18:57:42 GMT

If it isn't traumatic (and it can be difficult to always rule out penetrating wounds or bites etc) then I believe that the most common cause is a ruptured bulla. Tumour, infection, migrating foreign body etc all on the list to. My last one of these (amazing xray if I can find it) decompensated fairly rapidly (and was due to a bulla rupture ) so I would be worried about this guy overnight. There is a reasonable chance with the bulla that if you continue to drain the chest and monitor for recurrence for a few days that the lesion may seal but if not surgery is probably warranted. I always get my chest rads checked externally though and obviously if badness is indicated then that changes things!

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Kirsten Simpson — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 18:43:57 GMT

Thanks, This is what I am thinking too. Very concerned then with bilateral pneumothorax in an older dog with no history or trauma etc. Will see if the owners will let me try and tap him again tomorrow then with a catheter. The whole family is in just now all upset. Could something worrying underlying be a cause?

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Thomas Johnson — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 17:56:42 GMT

[quote user="Adrian Caunter"]

I don't usually post on these forms and defer to those wiser then I , but in view of your limited time scale I will break the habit. Pretty sure you are right with your pneumothorax diagnosis and it looks bilateral to me. I would attempt again a tap possibly using a catheter attached to a three way tap to ebable you to go a little deeper then a needle. The BSAVA manual of techniques should have more on this if you have it?

[/quote]

I also think it looks like a pneumothorax so would be trying again at drainage.

Re: Tachypnoeic dog odd history help! Xrays

Adrian Caunter — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 17:52:49 GMT