An observational study of the role of indoor air pollution in pets with naturally acquired bronchial/lung disease

Abstract

Background Indoor air pollution (IAP) is an emerging issue for both human and veterinary patients under the concept of ‘One Health’. The association between IAP and respiratory disease in companion animals has been reported. Objectives The present study investigated the relationship between quantifiable indoor air quality and clinical characteristics of naturally acquired bronchial/lung disease in pet dogs and cats. Methods A total of 36 clinical cases (20 dogs and 16 cats) with naturally acquired bronchial/lung disease were prospectively recruited. Lower airway samples were collected and analysed, and clinical signs and the information from pulmonary function testing were examined. Indoor air quality was estimated by the average concentration of particles measuring ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5, μg/m 3 ) and volatile organic compounds (VOC, ppm) in the animals’ domestic microenvironments. Results Exposure to IAP was not found to be correlated with the severity of clinical signs, pulmonary function changes or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in cats with bronchial/lung disease. However, a hypercellular response in canine lower airways was found to be associated with poor indoor air quality, including unacceptable indoor PM2.5 levels (>35 μg/m 3 ) or increases in VOC concentration (>1 ppm) in places most commonly frequented by the dogs in the home. Conclusions Poor indoor air quality may exacerbate airway disease in pets and should not be ignored in modern society.

A pilot study on the lung morphology of shelter dogs in relation to air pollution in Trinidad

“…[25][26][27][28] Poor indoor air quality can exacerbate airway disease in pets. 29 The dogs surveyed in our study were all outdoor strays; therefore, it is likely that the anthracosis was caused by air pollution.…”

Influence of acclimatization time on parameters of barometric whole-body plethysmography in healthy adult cats

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Pet cats, the better sentinels for indoor organic pollutants

“…Therefore, the chemical composition of PM2.5 determines its health effects and cytotoxicity (Kim et al, 2019). A hypercellular response in the lower airways of dogs was associated with poor indoor air quality, including unacceptable levels of PM2.5 (>35 μg/m 3 ) or increased levels of VOC (>1 ppm) in the most frequently visited areas of the home by dogs (Lin et al, 2020). Based on the investigation of the National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital, dogs with respiratory disease were those exposed to incense burning than were control dogs, but the household level of PM2.5 did not significantly differ between dogs with and without respiratory disease.…”