What causes coughing in dogs?

Coughing in dogs, should you worry about it? There can be many reasons why your dog coughs. Here are the main ones below..

Kennel Cough

This is caused by irritation of the trachea and bronchi. The throat is very inflamed and there is a risk of pneumonia if not treated. Kennel cough is extremely contagious so bear this in mind if your dog is in frequent contact with other dogs, especially in a boarding kennel type of environment (hence the name).

Kennel cough can be treated and there is also a vaccine that prevents it. Keeping your dog dry and warm during the cooler months and a healthy diet can also help.

Internal Parasites

Parasites such as roundworm usually start off in the digestive system and can migrate into the respiratory tract causing irritation to the area. A deadly parasite called heartworm can also infect the lungs causing coughing.

Heartworm can be transferred between dogs by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Distemper

Most dogs are routinely immunized against distemper, but it can strike puppies who have not yet been immunized. Distemper can also affect immunized dogs, but they usually only experience a mild form of the disease.

Distemper can be fatal for non immunized dogs, young puppies or dogs with weak immunity. The symptoms are fever, a nasty cough and discharge from the eyes and nasal passages.

Allergies

Coughing in dogs can also be caused by an allergy which triggers a reaction in the respiratory tract. Treating this type of cough can only be done by removing the cause of the allergy which may be a toxin in the environment or an insect bite.

Tracheal collapse

This is found mostly in overweight dogs although an injury to the neck could also cause tracheal collapse. The cough has a distinctive “honking” sound. Tracheal collapse may be treated by medication with surgery being an option in severe cases.

Heart disease

If your dog coughs, it could be a warning for heart disease due to the enlarged heart putting pressure on the airways.

Treatment for coughing in dogs

The treatment will vary of course according to what is causing the coughing in the first place. Kennel cough treatment will need antibiotics as it is a contagious condition. Non specific coughing and dry coughs may be eased by steam inhalation. Dog cough medicine can also work well.

When choosing a dog cough medicine select one which will support the health of both the respiratory and innume systems. PetAlive KC-Defense Formula will Naturally Treat and Immunize Your Pet Against Acute Kennel Cough and Other Respiratory Infections.

As you can see coughing in dogs may be caused by a variety of ailments, so if you suspect any serious disease please take your dog to the vet immediately.