It is impressive how many pets can manifest symptoms and diseases similar to humans. Some conditions can be equally severe (such as cancer, for example), but others are everyday complications that can easily affect your partner. For example, in the case of cough in the dog, which may occur for different reasons.
Therefore, let’s better understand what this problem causes, what medicines can be prescribed and when they are needed.
In this article you will find:
- What causes cough in the dog?
- What to do when the dog is coughing?
- Dog cough medicine
- What is the medicine for elderly dog cough and puppy (children)?
- Home Remedy for dog cough
- Can you give dog to dog syrup?
What causes cough in the dog?
When the dog has a cough, it may be a sign that its upper respiratory tract is affected. It corresponds to the beginning of the trachea, so that there is usually no pulmonary impairment.
This symptom may be associated with lack of vaccination, especially when the dog lives in agglomeration or in contact with other animals.
In addition, it can also affect dogs that already have certain pathologies – such as pneumonia, periodontal disease, allergies, etc. In such cases, when performing the correct treatment of the disease in question, therefore it will have relief in the cough.
Regarding the main viruses causing cough in dogs, one can list:
- Parainfluenza Canine Type 3 – affects the trachea;
- Canine adenovirus type 2 – affects the inside of the lungs;
- Bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptic – reaches the upper respiratory tract.
However, it is noteworthy that to know exactly what is causing the problem in the pet and how to treat it in the right way, it is essential to seek a veterinarian.
How is the cough?
The dog cough can be sporadic or continuous, varying as it triggered this problem. Overall, it is usually dry, repeated and constant (as if the dog is choked) and can sometimes even eliminate a whitish drool.
It is noteworthy that in some cases, when the dog has a cough, it may end up suffering from other complications – such as nausea, vomiting, food regurgitation, sneezing and nasal secretion.
But cough can also be moist and sometimes may be similar to a squeak.
What to do when the dog is coughing?
In most cases, the dog cough disappears alone 5 and 12 days after the first manifestation, so no clinical intervention is usually necessary. However, to help you can keep the animal hydrated and even use an environment humidifier as it can alleviate the cough.
Treatment and home care aim to soften this symptom and prevent the condition from evolving into problems such as tracheobronchitis and/or pulmonary infection.
As mentioned, it is very important to seek help from a veterinarian to determine the best and safest treatment for your dog. When necessary, a coughing (antitussive) or antibiotic and anti-inflammatory cough may be prescribed.
Dog cough medicine
It is not in all situations that the dog lacks the use of medicines to treat cough, but only the veterinarian can decide this.
When drugs are necessary, they are usually related to the treatment of the problem that is causing cough – considering it may be a symptom of other disorders, such as allergies.
Check out some of the options of these medicines and when they can be prescribed:
Dry
Dry cough is very common in dogs, which may appear due to several factors: allergies, dry weather, pneumonia, dental diseases (such as periodontitis), viruses or bacteria, canine flu, among others.
In some of these cases, specific treatments aimed at the problem that is causing cough. In this sense, anti-inflammatory anti-inflammatory (such as anti-inflammatory MSD meticorten vet), antiallergic (such as allergovet coveli) and even antibiotics-can be prescribed for conditions such as pneumonia.
Hoarse
When the dog has a hoarse cough, it usually emits some “squeaks”, a sound that can be very noticeable while he barks, eats and breathes.
In such cases, it may be an indication that there is secretion or fluid in the lungs (edema). If the hoarse cough is “wetter”, it can point out a pulmonary infection or even congestive heart failure.
This reinforces the need to seek veterinary monitoring in order to identify the causes of this problem. Only then will it be possible to guide the appropriate remedy.
It is noteworthy that when there are no other concomitant diseases and only isolated hoarse cough, drugs such as the Tosicanis Syrup may be prescribed – it deals with cough, acting as a expectorant and fluidifying.
What is the medicine for elderly dog cough and puppy (children)?
In general, there is no specific drug coughing medicine in elderly dogs or puppies. However, for dogs in these phases of life, it is necessary to redouble attention to possible diseases or complications.
The puppy’s body is more fragile than an adult dog, which makes him more susceptible to some diseases. In addition, minor disorders can become serious complications very quickly – equally with babies.
Elderly dogs also have a more fragile health, considering the advance of age and even the fact that they may have other concomitant diseases.
Therefore, if you have an elderly dog or puppy, seek veterinary assistance if it has any different signal than usual (such as cough).
As we have seen, it is few times the dog lacks medication to treat cough, as it tends to disappear alone. However, if it is being caused by another disease (pneumonia, heart disorders, etc.), this needs specialized treatment.
Home Remedy for dog cough
Opt for home remedies is not a safe option unless this is done with the guidance of a veterinarian. In general, whenever some treatment is required, conventional medications are prescribed.
However, there are some care that you can take at home and can certainly help your puppy recover faster:
- Keep it hydrated-if he is not drinking water on his own, you can give it with the help of a syringe;
- Keep the moisture of the environment – which can be done with the help of an air humidifier or even a bucket of water;
- Avoid walks – doing a lot of physical exercise can make the dog panting and, depending on the cause, can make the cough worse;
- Avoid bathing – body temperature change can hurt the dog and make the cough worse in influenza or pneumonia.
This set of factors can contribute to the improvement of your pet, without intervention with home revenues and medicines. If you do not notice relief from symptoms, return to the veterinarian.
Can you give dog to dog syrup?
In general, no. Just as people should not make use of veterinary medications, the opposite is also true. Giving dog syrup to dogs can cause many complications to the pet.
This also applies to drugs other than syrups. Even in small quantities, they can cause changes in the animal’s nervous and gastrointestinal system.
However, in some cases, a professional can choose to prescribe human remedies for dogs. This is done considering the fact that from the pharmacological point of view the medicines are no different.
What varies, essentially, is the dose and type of medicine that can (or not) be given to certain animals. In the case of dogs, doses need to be smaller, suitable according to weight.
Nevertheless, it is always preferable to use their own medications for veterinary use, which may even make it easier to manage medication – considering that there are many remedies made in smaller size or even with greater palatability (attractive for the dog to eat) .
Taking care of your dog can be a difficult task in some cases. But remember to always rely on the help of a professional, even in cases of seemingly simple symptoms such as cough.