Pneumonia

Typically, but not always, in Deerhounds it is an acute, fast-developing, bacterial aspiration pneumonia. Because it is bacterial, dogs have some chance of surviving with prompt, aggressive supportive care and antibiotics. 

Mild symptoms can quickly become severe, so if pneumonia is suspected, 

THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. 

Owners should mention pneumonia as a possibility for any severely sick Deerhound when a cause isn’t obvious.

Presentation of the Disease

Although some dogs present with typical pneumonia symptoms, many Deerhounds do not. Here are some observations by Deerhound owners:

Symptoms

Besides typical pneumonia symptoms, there are other things to look out for:

There is often a rapidly escalating temperature that can get high. Know your dog’s normal baseline temperature so you can tell when it is going up; for some dogs, a 102° temperature is normal, but for others it’s a significant rise.

It can come on quickly. Owners often report that their dog is fine in the morning and deathly ill by evening. As one owner wrote, “I can be sitting with him on the sofa, and all seems/feels normal. Then, while we sit, I can literally FEEL his temp rising as the fever comes on. He spikes fevers as high as 105.8° over the course of about 30 minutes.” 

The dog’s aspect can range from “not quite right” to lethargy to collapse.

There isn’t always coughing or a nasal discharge. Some dogs cough; other dogs do not. Ditto for a nasal discharge: some dogs have it, some do not. One owner reported a “distinctive slight cough” that preceded the onset of illness in dogs that had no other respiratory symptoms.

It sometimes seems related to drinking water: For some dogs, there is initially a period of gagging, hoarking, or yakking that happens after drinking water. Although many times this leads to nothing, sometimes, the dog becomes depressed and will run a temp of 103° or more, with no other symptoms. 

It can look like torsion: the dog is restless, can’t settle or lie down for any length of time, can’t lie on their side, and/or can have ropey saliva. 

Noisy breathing: these dogs often have the panty or noisy breathing (some people say it sounds like a train) or wheezing typical of this problem, but many do not.

It can sometimes start with vomiting. It isn’t known if the pneumonia is secondary to inhaling some of the vomit or the vomiting is part of the primary disease process.

It can be stress-related: several owners have reported their dogs getting sick right after dog shows, for instance, or during a bitch’s false pregnancy.

Diagnostics

Make sure the vet takes your dog’s temperature and listens to the dog’s lungs. Owners should mention pneumonia as a possibility for any severely sick Deerhound when a cause isn’t obvious.

X-ray: Many of these dogs’ x-rays indicate aspiration pneumonia, but there are quite a few cases where the pneumonia does not appear to be caused by aspiration. Some dogs’ symptoms precede anything that is diagnostic on an x-ray,but these dogs still need to be treated ASAP.

Esophageal motility and circumference: Several of these dogs have been tested for mega-esophagus, but only a handful have been diagnosed with this problem, which continues to be rare in Deerhounds.

Culture: Some of these dogs recover completely, with no further recurrence, once a culture and sensitivity have been done and an appropriate antibiotic used. For other dogs it does not prevent recurrence. Since culture results may take 48 to 72 hours, broad spectrum antibiotics should be started immediately while waiting.

Treatment

In severe cases, hospitalization and oxygen therapy may be necessary, at the discretion of the treating veterinarian.

It often responds very quickly to treatment: the dog is often better within 12 hours of starting antibiotics. Owners with dogs that have recurring/chronic (we’re not sure which it is) pneumonia should keep antibiotics on hand and treat at the first sign of a problem. This usually works.

Fluid therapy is always an important component of pneumonia treatment. Severely ill dogs often need IV fluids. Some owners learn how to give subcutaneous fluids at home so they can give fluids (fluid kits and the amount given should be prescribed by your vet) as soon as their dog becomes symptomatic. Others just give extra liquids orally every hour or two.

Coupage, or rapidly tapping the chest wall, can be helpful to clear the lungs. Coupage should be performed three or four times each day:

A humidifier or vaporizer can also help. It is sometimes easiest to have your dog in a steamy bathroom. Nebulizing can help but only should be done under a veterinarian’s direction.

Sick dogs should change position every couple of hours. Once the dog is recovering, it should be encouraged to move around. Short walks are good, but lung capacity is diminished in recovering dogs, so strong exertion should be discouraged at first. 

Encourage your dog to eat. Talk with your veterinarian about highly palatable foods if your dog won’t eat its usual diet.

For dogs that get this problem frequently, treating for a long time (90 days worked for one dog), using pulse therapy, or just permanently keeping the dog on antibiotics (often doxycycline) prevents a recurrence.

It is thought that some of these dogs may have acid reflux (GERD) and aspirate some of the reflux, so treating GERD may help.

Here are two useful web pages from the Irish Wolfhound Foundation:

Irish Wolfhound Pneumonia Protocol

Pneumonia: What You Need to Know

We are requesting case histories and collecting DNA on dogs with recurrent pneumonia. If you have a dog with this condition, please help us by participating. Here is more information on the case history project, and how you can submit samples to our CHIC DNA Bank.