Maybe we are done rechecking those pneumonia radiographs.....

Clinical course and radiographic resolution of pneumonia in dogs treated with a shorter versus longer course of antimicrobials: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study

Erica L. Reineke, Megan E. McClosky, Katie D. Mauro, et al.

Objective:
To evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes in dogs with uncomplicated pneumonia treated with either a 2-week course or a 4-week course of antimicrobials.

Key Points:
Animals Studied:
-30 client-owned dogs with radiographic evidence of uncomplicated pneumonia.

Methods:
Dogs were randomly assigned to:
-2-week group: 2 weeks of antimicrobials followed by 2 weeks of placebo.
-4-week group: 4 weeks of antimicrobial treatment.
-Owners, investigators, and radiologists were masked to treatment groups.
-Clinical evaluations and thoracic radiographs were performed at 12 ± 2 days and 28 ± 2 days.

Results:
Clinical Signs:
-93.3% of dogs showed complete resolution of clinical signs by the first visit.
-No dogs experienced a relapse of clinical signs during the study.

Radiographic Findings:
-60% of dogs had complete resolution of radiographic lesions by the first visit.
-By the second visit, 83% of dogs had complete radiographic resolution.
-The remaining 17% showed stable or improving lesions.
-Clinical improvement occurred before radiographic resolution in most cases.

Conclusion:
Dogs with uncomplicated pneumonia showed similar clinical and radiographic outcomes regardless of receiving a 2-week or 4-week antimicrobial course.
Clinical signs may be more reliable than radiographic findings for guiding the duration of antimicrobial therapy.

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