Abstract
Diseases of the respiratory tract are widespread in small animal practice. Bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage are valuablediagnostic techniques that allow visualisation of the lumen and mucosa of a large part of the airway, and enable sampling. The decision on the sampling method depends on the patient’s assessment and imaging. Bronchoalveolar lavage is a safe and simple procedure indicated for diffuse diseases of the bronchi, pulmonary interstitium or alveoli. It is performed by infusion of 0.9% saline solution into the selected regional bronchus through the working channel of a bronchoscope or as a “blind technique” and removed as quickly as possible. The samples obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage are suitable for cytology, bacteriology and fungal cultures or other diagnostic tests such as PCR or specific antigen tests. Bronchoscopy requires appropriate and expensiveequipment, in addition to specialised training and experience of the physician performing the procedure. This review article provides an overview of the technique, equipment, most common indications, complications and interpretation of the results of bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage in dogs and cats.
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