Diagnosis and treatment of canine chronic bronchitis. Twenty years of experience

Chronic bronchitis is a frustrating disease because the cause is rarely determined, the pathologic changes that accompany and define the disease are usually nonreversible and often progress to life-threatening disorders, and there is a lack of direct scientific evidence for the treatment recommendations that have been offered for the management of this disease in dogs. This article reviews the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and evaluation of chronic bronchitis in dogs. Important diagnostic tools for use in diagnosis are discussed, including clinical pathology, chest radiographs, and culture and cytology of airway fluid samples.