Noncardiogenic edema or collection of fluid in the lungs which is not due to a cardiac ailment is caused by an increased permeability of the blood vessels of the lungs. This increased permeability results in the leakage of fluid into the lung, causing edema, or swelling. In severe cases the edema may be accompanied by an inflammatory response and an accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lung. Changes in the permeability of the blood vessels of the lungs could be a result of variety of conditions. Dogs that have edema as a result of a brain disorder, from a response to an electric cord bite injury, or from an upper airway obstruction might experience a systemic release of neurotransmitters and hormones called catecholamines. This release would lead to a causative effect, with systemic constriction of blood vessels shunting blood into the lungs and overloading the blood vessels of the lung, damaging them and leading to inflammation and swelling of the lungs. A generalized inflammatory response in the lungs develops in cases with a bacterial infection of the blood, or with pancreatitis and worsens over the 24 hours following the initial episode.
Symptoms may include
Difficulty breathing
Increased breathing rate
Standing in unusual positions to breathe better
Pale or bluish gums
Spitting up pink, frothy saliva, or bubbles of saliva
Increased rate of heart beat
