Dog Drowning Diagnosis & Treatment Methods: Essential C

Choking near drowning can be divided into four stages:

1. The First Stage Breathing Hold and Swimming

2. The Second Stage Inhaling Water, Suffering from Asphyxiation, and Struggling

3. The Third Stage Beginning to Vomit

4. The Fourth Stage Characterized by Loss of Consciousness, Muscle Relaxation, and Death

The environment surrounding a neardrowning victim, whether it's seawater or freshwater, can have different impacts on the lungs. When drowning in seawater, the high sodium content causes saltwater to absorb moisture from the blood and enter the airways, leading to the airways becoming filled and resulting in pulmonary edema. In contrast, freshwater can deactivate a substance called surfactant, which is produced by the lungs and helps prevent lung collapse. Without surfactant, the airways can collapse, leading to atelectasis. Therefore, the main feature of seawater drowning is pulmonary edema (fluid in the airways), while the main feature of freshwater drowning is atelectasis (airway collapse). Freshwater drownings tend to have a better prognosis than seawater drownings.

Additionally, drowning in cold water generally has a better prognosis than in warm water. Cold water can lower a pet's body temperature, reducing the body's oxygen demand and protecting the brain from damage caused by hypoxia. Cold water can also trigger the diving reflex, slowing down the pet's heart rate, and directing blood flow to vital organs like the brain and heart, thereby delaying brain damage.

About 10% of pets experiencing neardrowning will have laryngospasm, spasms, and airway closure, leading to asphyxia, or complete oxygen deprivation. Laryngospasm can reduce lung damage by preventing water from entering the airways. However, unless the laryngospasm is relieved, the pet will die due to oxygen deprivation.

Inhaling water into the lungs can cause the lungs to lose elasticity, become rigid, and make breathing more difficult. Pulmonary edema is the accumulation of water in the lungs, which can occur if a pet inhales water directly. However, it can also result from respiratory difficulties, such as laryngospasm or secondary brain damage due to hypoxia, in which case the lung swelling is called neurogenic pulmonary edema.

Brain edema can occur as a result of hypoxia. If the brain edema is severe, the pet may experience seizures, loss of consciousness, coma, and death. Additionally, neardrowning and shock can lead to arrhythmias.

Dogs

Advanced Diagnosis of Drowning

While the diagnosis of neardrowning is based on observations of the event, certain diagnostic tests are necessary to better assess the extent of lung or brain damage, or to monitor the condition of severely affected pets. If your pet appears normal after drowning, a 24hour hospital stay may suffice. However, the following tests are necessary for pets with more severe conditions:

1. Chest Xrays can be used to check for pulmonary edema or pneumonia. Pulmonary edema caused by neardrowning may take up to 48 hours to form, so repeated Xrays may be needed.

2. Arterial blood gas tests can be used to assess a pet's oxygenation capacity. These tests can also help veterinarians decide whether oxygen therapy is needed.

3. Pulse oximeters can also assess a pet's oxygenation capacity. They mainly use a special clip placed on the pet's lips to measure its oxygenation level.

4. If a pet is suspected of having pneumonia or was submerged in polluted water, the veterinarian may recommend transtracheal aspiration (TTA) to sample the lung fluid. The sample is then examined under a microscope and cultured to select the appropriate antibiotics for treating pneumonia.

5. A complete blood count and biochemical analysis can be used to assess changes in white blood cell count or organ damage caused by hypoxia and shock.

6. Urinalysis can detect the presence of hemoglobinuria (hemoglobin in urine), which may be caused by red blood cell damage from drowning in freshwater.

7. Central venous pressure is measured by placing a catheter in the internal jugular vein. It is mainly used to determine the appropriate amount of intravenous fluid to administer to the affected dog. Not all hospitals have the facilities for this monitoring, but the inability to perform this test does not hinder the diagnosis and treatment of your pet.

Advanced Treatment for Dog Drowning

Regardless of how well a pet appears initially, it is recommended to hospitalize and observe the pet for 24 hours after a neardrowning incident. Respiratory difficulties may appear several hours after the incident. Treatment may include the following:

1. Administer oxygen to pets experiencing respiratory difficulties.

2. Intravenous fluid therapy to treat shock and dehydration.

3. Diuretics like Lasix can be used to treat pulmonary edema. Unfortunately, diuretics cannot relieve edema caused by neardrowning or pulmonary edema caused by heart disease or other reasons.

4. Bronchodilators such as aminophylline or terbutaline can expand the airways, thereby improving breathing. These medications usually have only minor effects, as bronchoconstriction is not the primary issue in neardrowning victims.

5. Mechanical ventilation may be used to treat pets that do not respond to oxygen and intravenous medications (i.e., using a ventilator). When the veterinarian places an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube in your pet, your pet will be fully anesthetized, and the endotracheal tube will be connected to the ventilator. The machine will breathe for your pet. This is usually a temporary measure and will continue until your pet can breathe normally on its own.

6. Intravenous medications such as mannitol or corticosteroids can reduce brain edema caused by prolonged hypoxia or seizures following neardrowning.

7. Antibiotics are generally not recommended unless the pet was submerged in polluted water or pneumonia is suspected. Antibiotics are usually only administered after the body tissue culture analysis is completed.

Pets receiving treatment and discharged should not exercise for the first one to two weeks, depending on the extent of lung damage. Pets recovering from pulmonary edema or pneumonia often experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue after exercise.