Diagnostic limitations of oropharyngeal swab cultures and inconsistent presence of secondary bacterial infection in canine aspiration pneumonia

Key Points

• This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of oropharyngeal swab cultures in diagnosing bacterial infections in dogs with aspiration pneumonia.
• Compared oropharyngeal swab cultures to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cultures for diagnostic accuracy in dogs with aspiration pneumonia.
• Identified the presence of secondary bacterial infections in dogs diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia.
• Oropharyngeal swabs were found to be inappropriate surrogates for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cultures.
• Many dogs diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia did not have secondary bacterial infections, indicating that antimicrobial treatment may not always be necessary.