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COUGH REFLEX
POR DANIEL SANCHEZ
INTRODUCTION
COUGH IS A VITAL REFLEX THAT SERVES AS A DEFENSE
MECHANISM TO CLEAR THE AIRWAYS OF FOREIGN
MATERIAL, IMPROVE THE MUCOCILIARY ESCALATOR, AND
PROTECT THE AIRWAYS AGAINST INADVERTENT ASPIRATION
OF MATERIAL FROM THE ORAL CAVITY. IN VETERINARY
PRACTICE, COUGH IS AN IMPORTANT CLINICAL SIGN
INDICATING AN UNDERLYING DISEASE PROCESS. DESPITE ITS
OBVIOUS PROTECTIVE FUNCTION, CHRONIC, UNPRODUCTIVE
COUGH CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE AIRWAY MUCOSA AND
OTHER RESPIRATORY COMPROMISES, AS WELL AS PATIENT
DISCOMFORT AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
COUGH PATHWAY
COUGH CAUSES IN DOGS
sudden, sharp cough chronic cough
Sudden cough is caused by This is caused by
irritating environments, diseases that must be
excess smoke, deodorants, specifically treated. Its
perfumes. All of this causes are diverse,
causes throat irritation ranging from allergies,
and with this your body congenital problems,
causes muscle contraction pathologies or
to clear the airways. tracheobronchitis.
COUGH CAUSES IN CATS
Non-infectious infectious causes
causes
Inhaled (aspirated) foreign
Especially young cats of puppy age
bodies (e.g. blades of grass or often show signs of infection with
threads) in the airways are feline flu. It is an infectious disease
very often the cause of acute that occurs throughout the world and
that, in addition to cough, causes
cough in cats. Leaves of grass,
conjunctivitis and damage to the
for example, tend to stick to mucosa of cats.
the roof of the cat's mouth
and cause a forced choking
cough..
 SEMIOLOGICAL
MANEUVER
It is made by compressing the first tracheal rings and the larynx can also be made by
compressing the tracheal rings at the entrance to the thorax. Every time the reflex is
explored, a response will be obtained from the animal, which consists, in a normal
subject, of one or two coughs. (negative reflex).

On the other hand, when the examination is performed in subjects with respiratory
problems, the response is a coughing fit composed of several blows in a row (positive
reflex). Along with the larynx, the thyroid gland should be examined.

Palpation is used on the trachea (stimulating the cough reflex) and by endoscopy;
should be discarded tears (inflammation, pain and subcutaneous emphysema)