EXAMINATION OF RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS FOR DIAGNOSIS OF SOME RESPIRATORY DISEASES OF DOGS

Abstract

Epithelial lining fluid (ELF) analysis is considered a useful mean for diagnosis of many respiratory diseases. It provides not only supportive and definitive diagnosis but also gives information about the severity of lower respiratory tract injury. The present work was conducted to evaluate the different constituents of epithelial lining fluid in normal and diseased dogs including cytological, parasitological and biochemical analysis of respiratory secretions in healthy and diseased dogs, as well as comparing between the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2, MMP-9) in healthy and diseased dogs in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Eighty five dogs of different ages, breeds and sex were used in this study. These dogs were divided into two control groups for retrieving bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and trans-tracheal wash (TTW) and seven diseased groups. The diseased group was sub-divided according to the etiology and method of ELF retrieving either BAL or TTW into (bacterial LRTI dogs used for BAL fluid collection – fungal LRTI dogs used for BAL fluid collection – canine distemper infected dogs used for BALF collection – mixed LRTI dogs used for BAL fluid collection – bacterial LRTI dogs used for TTW collection – fungal LRTI dogs used for TTW collection – mixed LRTI dogs used for TTW collection)