Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Dogs

Category: Airway & Lung
Breeds documented: 2
Published sources: 5

Overview

Air leaking into the space around the lungs can prevent them from expanding normally. When this happens without an injury or medical procedure causing the leak, it is called spontaneous pneumothorax. A common cause is the rupture of a small air-filled pocket in the lung. Other lung diseases can also cause it, and breathing difficulty can become life-threatening.

Signs to watch for

Fast, shallow breathing
Difficulty drawing breath
Coughing
Restlessness or anxiety
Stretching the neck and holding the elbows outward to breathe
Gums that look dusky or blue

Cases occur from puppyhood to old age; one study reported a median presentation age of 6.8 years.

Emergency Go to an emergency vet now if your dog is struggling to breathe.

Diagnosis and tests

Chest X-rays can confirm that air is collecting outside the lungs. They do not always reveal where the air is leaking from or why. A vet may recommend a CT scan, which provides more detailed images, to investigate the source and plan treatment.

Breeds with documented risk

2 breeds

By breed size

1 Medium
1 Large

Siberian HuskyMedium · Working Group
Alaskan MalamuteLarge · Working Group

Inheritance

Not yet known
None of the sources we use states how this is inherited in dogs yet.

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.