Section: Follow-up
Optimal treatment for your pet requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up can be critical and may include the following:
Administer any prescribed veterinary medications as directed and be certain to contact your veterinarian if you are experiencing problems treating your pet.
Follow-up radiographs should be obtained to ensure resolution of infection. Areas of lung consolidation may take 2 to 6 weeks to become totally clear. Failure of steady clinical and radiographic improvement indicates a need to re-evaluate the patient and to consider a tracheal wash or bronchoscopy with bronchial fluid aspiration to determine cell analysis and bacteria causing the infection.
Recurrent pneumonia also is common, particularly in those animals with persistence of predisposing factors, like swallowing disorders, anticancer therapy, ciliary dyskinesis and acquired or congenital immune deficiencies. Your veterinarian may refer you to a specialist if the diagnosis is in doubt.
Infrequently, an unresponsive or refractory single lobe infection requires surgical lobectomy for resolution of the problem.
Manage predisposing causes and continue antibiotics as discussed above.
Your veterinarian may suggest referral for resistant cases.
Repeat culture and sensitivity, as needed.
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