Introduction

Cytologic evaluation of a high-quality sample from the respiratory tract can, together with history, clinical data, and imaging, provide invaluable diagnostic information toward patient management. Clinical indications for cytologic evaluation of the respiratory tract in dogs and cats include sneezing, nasal discharge, epistaxis, ocular discharge, pawing at the nose, facial deformity, chronic coughing, dyspnea, and radiographic evidence of bronchial or pulmonary parenchymal disease. One of the major factors determining the diagnostic value of cytologic specimens is the quality of the sample.