Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a Dog With Canine Respiratory Coronavirus Infection.

Canine respiratory coronavirus can cause severe ARDS, not just mild upper respiratory disease.

This case report documents an unusual presentation of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a 1.5-year-old Rottweiler associated with canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) infection and suspected aspiration. The dog initially presented with productive cough that improved, but subsequently developed acute respiratory decompensation while at a boarding facility. Clinical findings included severe cranioventral lung consolidation on radiographs, fever, hypotension, hypoglycemia, and leukopenia. Despite positive pressure ventilation support, the dog remained profoundly hypoxemic, developed acute kidney injury, and was euthanized 24 hours after presentation. Necropsy confirmed diffuse alveolar damage consistent with ARDS. CRCoV was confirmed via real-time PCR and metagenomics analysis of respiratory and lung samples, with negative bacterial cultures. While CRCoV is typically associated with mild upper respiratory disease, this case suggests it can contribute to severe lower respiratory tract disease through direct viral damage, impaired mucociliary clearance predisposing to aspiration, and secondary inflammation. The case also demonstrates the emerging clinical utility of metagenomics as a diagnostic tool in small animal medicine for pathogen identification and surveillance of infectious respiratory disease.

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