education

1. Chronic Interstitial
Pneumonia
Dr. Karima Al-Salihi

2. •It is the chronic inflammation of the
interstitial tissues.
It is caused by:
(1) Viral infection.
(2) Infestation with lung worm.
(3) Secondary to lobar and lobular
pneumonia when the exudate becomes
organized.
(4) Secondary to some specific disease
e.g. Tuberculosis, Contagious bovine
pleuropneumonia in cattle.

4. Clinical findings:
(1) Severe mixed dyspnoea.
(2) Easily induced cough.
(3) Slight rise o f temperature (it is very high in
infectious diseases).
(4) On percussion, dullness is heard on the anterior
and posterior borders of the lungs.
(5) On auscultation, week or absence of vesicular
sound but rales may be heard.
(6) Consolidation and fibrosis of the lung will cause
reduction in the respiratory surface, the lung will
loose some of its power of expansion as well as
some of its elasticity and this lead to death from
asphyxia.

5. Pneumonia in pet animals
Acute and chronic inflammatory
changes of the lungs and bronchi
characterized by respiratory
disturbances and complicated by
systemic effects of toxins
absorbed from the involved area.

7. Causes:
(1) Primary viral involvement of the respiratory
tract followed -by secondary bacterial
invasion: e.g. Feline respiratory complex,
Canine distemper, Infectious tracheobronchitis
and Canine and Feline herpes virus.
(2) Classical pneumonia is due to bacterial
invasion.
(3) Parasitic invasion o f the bronchi as by
filaroides Aelurostronglus.
(4) Protozoan involvement, usually caused by
Toxoplasma.

8. (5) Mycotic bronchopneumonia may
result from Aspergillus or Histoplasma.
(6) Injury to the bronchial mucosa and
the inhalation or aspiration o f irritant
materials may cause pneumonia
directly and predispose the tissues to
secondary bacterial invasion.
NB: Any interference with immune
protective mechanisms may
predispose to pneumonia.

10. Clinical findings:
(1)Drowsiness (lethargy).
(2) Anorexia.
(3) Deep cough o f low amplitude.
(4) Nasal ocular discharge.
(5) Progressive dyspnea.
(6) Increased body temperature.
(7) Blowing of the lips and cyanosis.
(8) Auscultation of the thorax usually reveals
consolidation.
(9) Complication such as pleuritis may occur.

11. Course o f the
Pneumonia:
(1) Lobar pneumonia: 7-10
days in horse, 3 weeks in
cattle
(2) Bronchopneumonia:
3-4 weeks in both.

12. Death may occurs in pneumonia from:
(1)Anoxia and respiratory failure.
(2)Heart failure
(3) Pleurisy.
(4) Pericarditis.
(5) Gangrenous pneumonia.
Clinical pathology:
(1) Respiratory secretion, exudates, nasal swabs,
tracheobronchial aspirates and bronchoalveolar lavage
samples can be submitted for isolation of viruses, bacteria,
fungi, cytological examination and determination of
antimicrobial sensitivity.
(2) Thoracentesis: when pleural effusion is suspected, to
obtain pleural fluid for analysis.

13. (3) Hematology: hematological
examination can be done if the infection is
bacterial or viral in nature and its severity.
1- PCV elevated in severely toxemic
animals which aren’t drinking water.
2- Severe bacterial bronchopneumonia and
pleuritis is charactrized by marked increase
in leukocytic count (leukocytosis).
3- Serum fibrinogen concentrations are
markedly elevated in horses with
pleuropneumonia and pleuritis.

14. (4) Fecal samples: for the detection of the
larvae when lungworm pneumonia is
suspected.
(5) Medical imaging: thoracic radiography and
ultrasonography.
(6) Respiratory function tests e.g. blood
gases and acid base balance tests.
(7) Necropsy: Necropsy o f selected early
cases will often assist in making a diagnosis
in outbreaks o f respiratory disease.

15. Diagnosis o f pneumonia
depends on:
(1) History.
(2) Clinical symptoms (Polypnea
in the early stages, dyspnea in
late stage, abnormal lung
sounds, cough, fever and
toxemia in bacterial pneumonia).
(3) Clinical pathology.

16. Differential diagnosis:
(1) Polypnea and dyspnea may result from
involvement of other body systems disturbances e.g.
1- Congestive heart failure.
2- Poisoning by histotoxic agents e.g. hydrocyanic acid.
3- Hyperthermia.
4- Acidosis.
The previous diseases are accompanied by respiratory
embarrassments but not by abnormal respiratory sounds,
which present in pulmonary involvement.

17. (2) Pleuritis is characterized by:
1) Shallow, abdominal type of respiration.
2) Friction sounds in the early stage and muffling lung
sounds. Fluid line detected by auscultation and
percussion in late stage.
•
(3) Pneumothorax is characterized by:
1) Inspiratory dyspnea.
2) An absence of vesicular sounds.
3) Bronchial sounds are audible over the base of the lung.
4) Hyperresonant sound on percussion.

18. (4) Contagious Bovine Pleuro-
pneumonia:
!It is a highly infectious septicemic
disease caused by mycoplasma
mycoides characterized by localization
in the lungs and pleura resulting to
acute lobar pneumonia and pleurisy.
!It occurs commonly in cattle and it is
characterized by high morbidity and
mortality rates.

20. •Treatment of
pneumonia
(1) Avoid overcrowding and put the animal in worm dry
place free from air current and apply chest rug.
(2) Correct anaemia if present.
(3) Oxygen therapy if cyanosis is severe.
(4) Feed animal with easily digestible and palatable food
(green laxature food for ruminants, bran mash for
equines).
(5) Injection of vitamin C and A to increase body immunity.

21. (6) Expectorant e.g. Bisolvone (mucolytic and expectorant)
or trisolven (mucolytic, expectorant and bronchodilator) 1
ml/50 KgBW, IM, daily till recovery.
(7) Bronchodilators: to improves ventilation and tends to
correct oxygen exchange e.g. Aminophylline and
theophylline I.V. injection.
(8) Glucose 5-10%, 500 ml and saline solution 0.9%, 500
ml (or more) daily to control dehydration.
(9) Diuretics: e.g. pot. acetate and pot. citrate 15 gm from
each are added to the drinking water o f the animal every
day.

22. (10) Antimicrobial therapy: one o f the
following:
1) Oxytetracycline (5 mg/kgBW IM for 5-7
days).
2) Long acting tetracyclines at 10 mg/kg.
3) SC enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg)
4) Procaine penicillin 4000 IU/kg daily IM for
5-7 days.
5) Sulfonamides 200 mg/Kg for 5-7 days.
6) Combination of oxytetracycline and
sulfonamides.
7) Combination of tetracycline and penicillin.

23. (11) Anti-inflammatory therapy : one of the
following:
1) Corticosteroids and antihistamines, such as
dexamethasone 5-25 mg given I/M or I/V.
2) Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) such as acetyl salycilic acid (asprin)
(100 mg/kg every m hours) or flunixen
meglumine (2 mg/kg) either a single dose or
divided into two doses at 12 hour intervals.
NB: Care should be taken from renal toxicity,
so dehydrated animals should be rehydrated
before administration of these drugs.

24. NB: Avoid over dose or use them for prolonged
period because they may result in abomasal
ulceration.
(12) Heart tonic: one of the following:
1) Cardiazole 1-2 gm for horse according to
size.
2) Pulve digitalis. 1-4 gm for large animal. 1 /
2-4 gm for small animal. This dose must be
divided in 3 parts and given 3 times in three
days.
3) Repherin or pholiderin or adcopherine (IM),
5-10 c.c for large animal, 1 / 2-1 c.c. for small
animal.

25. * No treatment for interstitial pneumonia and the
diseased cattle should be slaughtered.
•
*MB: There is no specific treatment for the viral
pneumonias while mycoplasma spp. are sensitive to
antibiotics in vitro.
So, the pneumonias caused by them don’t respond to
treatment. This may be due to the intercellular location o
f the mycoplasma making them inaccessible to the
drugs.
Because, viral and mycoplasma pneumonias are
commonly complicated by secondary bacterial
infections, it is common practice to treat them with
antibiotics until recovery.
* Corticosteroids as anti-inflammatory effect in the
treatment o f acute pneumonia.

26. Prevention and control:
(1) Vaccination o f healthy dams.
(2) Good colostrum management, to give
adequate passive transfer.
(3) Disinfection o f calves’ navels to limit
pathogen exposure by over crowding and
direct contact.
(4) Provide a good-quality air and protects
the calf from bad environment.
(5) Avoid exposure of newborn to cold or
current air.

27. (6) Calves should be fed proper nutrition
for protein, energy, minerals and vitamins.
(7) Vaccination programs in dairy calves
should be start at 1-2 months o f age.
(8) Avoid over crowding and long
transportation in bad weather.
(9) Mass medication can be used to control
outbreaks of pneumonia in flocks.
Sulfonamides are administered in the
drinking water or orally at 200 mg/kg on the
first day and 66 mg/kg each subsequent day
of treatment.