Diagnosis of aerodigestive disorders in dogs utilizing videofluoroscopic swallow study
Abstract
An aerodigestive disease (AeroD) is a disorder pathologically linking the respiratory and alimentary tracts. Dogs having respiratory signs without dysphagia, vomiting, or regurgitation typically lack diagnostics identifying comorbid alimentary disease. Videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) identifies defects in swallowing, pathologic reflux, and aspiration. We hypothesized dogs with respiratory/no alimentary disease (RESP) would have significantly more abnormal VFSS metrics versus healthy controls (CON). We hypothesized RESP dogs with parenchymal disease would have more reflux and higher penetration-aspiration score (PAS) than those with airway disease. Forty-five client owned dogs with respiratory disease (RESP) and 15 hospital staff owned dogs (CON) were evaluated. Prospectively, all dogs underwent VFSS. RESP dogs had advanced respiratory diagnostics. Eight subjective and three objective VFSS metrics (pharyngeal constriction ratio, PCR; PAS; and esophageal transit time, ETT) were assessed. Fishers Exact test compared differences between groups (presence or absence of VFSS abnormalities). PCR and PAS were compared via Mann-Whitney Rank Sum test (p[less than]0.05 significant). Results revealed subjective VFSS abnormalities in 34/45 (75 percent) RESP and 2/15 (13 percent) CON dogs, with RESP dogs significantly more likely to have VFSS abnormalities (p = 0.006). There was no significant difference in PCR between groups. RESP dogs were more likely to have pathologic PAS than CON (p = 0.027). RESP dogs with airway disease had higher PAS than CON (p = 0.011) but not RESP dogs with parenchymal disease (p = 0.246). Overall, seventy-five percent of RESP dogs had VFSS abnormalities, underscoring that AeroDs are common.
Degree
M.S.