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VetVine Client Care

Posted On Jun 23, 2025

Updated On Jul 16, 2025

Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Emergency & Critical Care

Contributed by Elisa Mazzaferro, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVECC

In the past 2 weeks, we have seen two dogs with spontaneous pneumothorax! Both dogs were older (11 year old Lab and a 7 year old Siberian Husky). Both dogs had a history of acute onset of cough followed by a progressive increase in respiratory effort over the next 12 hours prior to presentation.

I think that these cases illustrate the importance of honing your clinical skills and trusting your exam findings. Both dogs had muffled heart and lung sounds. The astute clinician trusted his judgment and recommended thoracic radiographs. Without a history of trauma the findings were unexpected! Both dogs had evidence of pneumothorax that required repeated thoracocentesis and placement of a thoracostomy tube.  

We recommended a CT scan to evaluate for bullae, abscesses, and mass lesions. In one dog (the Lab), there were lesions diffusely throughout all lung fields. This made treatment challenging as we could not remove all areas (that were abnormal) and there was a potential for recurrence. In the other dog, there were two well-defined lesions that were surgically removed. This, however, does not prevent additional bullae from recurring.

Have you ever diagnosed a spontaneous pneumothorax? I think that - including these two dogs - I have seen a total of 5 in my career.

Originally posted on October 6, 2013