The pulmonary disease research group investigates the onset of pulmonary diseases and looks for better diagnostic techniques and more effective therapies for acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. We study a range of respiratory tract diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, which is a connective tissue disorder of the lungs, pneumonia and a respiratory syndrome in short-muzzled dogs.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease typical of the West Highland White Terrier, on which a great deal of new information has been obtained. The disease leads to a decrease in oxygen uptake. The group has investigated the causes of the disease and the changes observed in conjunction with the development of the disease.
Pneumonia is a common disease in dogs as well, and we have investigated related treatment and recovery follow-up. Research on treating pneumonia has resulted in a decrease in antibiotic use, as we demonstrated that shorter courses of treatment compared to prior recommendations are effective at curing dogs.
A walking test has been developed to support breeding, which makes it possible to exclude from breeding the dogs that suffer the most from having a short muzzle. The Finnish Kennel Club has approved the test for breeding selection.