Bronchoalveolar lavage in dogs

Abstract

This thesis describes the application and optimization of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in dogs, especially for diagnosing and management of airway diseases. The BAL technique enables the collection of samples from the deep airways which leads to a better analysis of the epithelia lining fluid (ELF). The fluids contain various amounts of cellular and noncellular components, which provides us with valuable information about the health status of the airways.