Current Therapy for Canine Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis (CB) is the most common chronic respiratory impairment in dogs. The condition is defined as a chronic cough occurring for two consecutive months during the preceding year that is not attributable to another cause (e.g. neoplasia, congestive heart failure). This definition is based loosely on the definition of chronic bronchitis in humans, which is characterized by a well-defined cascade of clinical and histologic changes. The early changes are typically triggered by an inciting irritant stimulus (usually cigarette smoking), and include increases in airway mucus production, impairment of mucociliary clearance, and alterations in the local immune response. The cascade of events in dogs is similar to that seen in humans, and, if left untreated, results in a cycle of chronic inflammation, chronic cough, copious mucoid airway secretions, and decreased mucociliary clearance.