rhinitis

Rhinitis

What is Rhinitis?
Rhinitis is an inflammation of the lining of the nose that results in sneezing and nasal discharge. This causes snuffling and is usually referred to as cold or flu-like symptoms. The discharge is usually clear in the early stages of disease and becomes thicker and cloudy as disease progresses. In some cases, blood may come out of the nostrils.

What can cause Rhinitis?
There are several viruses that can cause a rhinitis in dogs, but they are not very common and usually produce mild symptoms. It is possible for an allergy to cause rhinitis, like hay fever in humans, but this is an unusual consequence of allergy in dogs. Foreign material up the nose will cause a rhinitis, either from sniffing up dust or larger objects. The commonest foreign body in a dog’s nose is a grass seed, but others seen include slivers of wood, needles, pins, nails, beads, food – anything that gets sucked in while the dog is sniffing about. A foreign body rhinitis will affect only on nostril and will often progress to producing blood.

There is a fungus called Aspergillus that can cause a particularly nasty rhinitis. This fungus grows on mouldy bread or hay and can infect the nose. It grows in the back of the nose and the sinuses and will eventually eat into the bones of the skull. Although initially indistinguishable from any other rhinitis, it becomes bloody and very painful as the disease progresses. A tumour in the nose may cause a rhinitis – it blocks the nasal passage and a bacterial infection will often form at the blockage

What is the treatment for rhinitis?
The viral rhinitis that dogs get is usually very mild and requires no treatment. Antibiotics do not help with viral diseases and secondary bacterial infection is not common in these case, but antibiotics may be used to prevent this.

If there is a foreign body up the nose, then this must be removed before signs will resolve. Antibiotics will often produce a temporary improvement as infection forms around the foreign body, but the problem will return as soon as the antibiotics finish. Removal will require a general anaesthetic and some means to visualise inside the nose. An endoscope is best, but x-rays can also be used.

Aspergillus rhinitis is problematic to treat. Anti-fungal drugs can be given as tablets, such as ketaconazole or griseofulvin, but in many cases this is not effective. The most effective treatment is to implant rubber tubes through holes drilled into the skull so that the nose can be flushed daily with an anti-fugal solution called Imaverol. This procedure may require referral to specialist surgical facilities.

Visit our online pharmacy www.vetscriptions.co.uk where you can buy all your medication & supplements with huge savings.

reprinted with kind permission from Andrew Prentis BVSc MRCVS
Hyde Park Veterinary Centre
www.hydeparkvet.co.uk

The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.