Clinical respiratory and radiographic abnormalities in dogs with spontaneous hypercortisolism.

The objective of this study was to characterize respiratory clinical signs, other than panting and respiratory distress, as well as thoracic radiographic abnormalities, in dogs with hypercortisolism. Although there have been case reports and studies evaluating the results of pulmonary scintigraphy, no studies have yet reviewed respiratory clinical signs and radiograph results in dogs with hypercortisolism. This study addresses this gap. A case series was evaluated and the dogs' clinical histories were obtained, including clinical signs and physical examination. Digital thoracic radiographs were analyzed to consider such parameters as the diameter of the main bronchi, lung patterns, and the size of the pulmonary trunk. The most common respiratory symptoms were snoring (61.9%), coughing (57.1%), and fatigue (52.4%). Physical examination revealed a high frequency of changes on lung auscultation (95.2%). The body condition score (BCS) was high in 95% of dogs and a significant correlation was observed between the presence of cyanosis and changes in lung auscultation, both of which present similar risk factors. Furthermore, body weight showed a moderate correlation with respiratory rate (RR = 0.571). Radiographic changes were evident in 47.5% of dogs, with the bronchial pattern being the most common (70%). Based on these results, it was observed that respiratory and radiographic abnormalities are frequent in dogs with spontaneous hypercortisolism and a high body condition score was relevant for exacerbating clinical respiratory signs, such as cyanosis and tachypnea.