Cough in dogs

Why does the dog cough

The causes of coughing in dogs can be very diverse. Conditionally, they can be divided into two groups: those related to diseases of internal organs and domestic ones. Among the first are often found:

• bacterial, viral, fungal lesions of the nasopharynx, respiratory tract, lungs;
• heart disease;
• allergies;
• neoplasms;
• helminthiasis.

The factors of the second group that provoke a cough reflex in an animal include the following.

• Tight collar. The dog coughs with excessive tightening ("so as not to run away"), if the collar has become small, while pulling the leash. The latter is especially typical for young, overly active pets. Often a cough is associated with a leash in dogs that have too short or, conversely, a long neck. In the first case, it is preferable to use a harness, and in the second – carefully select the width of the accessory.
• Accumulation of fur in the esophagus and stomach. The problem is typical for quadrupeds with long hair. When licking (although not often), the dog involuntarily swallows hair that does not move through the digestive tract, but gradually gathers into a lump in the stomach or esophagus. Such accumulations lead to vomiting and coughing reflex. At the same time, the dog coughs as if it has choked.
• A foreign object is stuck in the throat. Anything can get stuck: a thread, a New Year's "rain", a bone from a fish, a chicken. The thread, if not completely swallowed, will irritate the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and esophagus for a long time, causing coughing and vomiting. Sharp bones, piercing into the tissues of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophageal wall, not only create interference in the animal, but also lead to inflammatory processes (suppuration, pain, swelling of the mucous membrane, and others).
• Features of the anatomical structure of the respiratory tract, oropharynx and esophagus of the pet. For short-faced animals, the so-called reverse sneezing is characteristic. This is a paroxysmal cough, unrelated to diseases, occurring abruptly and passing quickly, without outside help.

Types of cough in dogs

Cough in dogs is classified based on several characteristics. It is important that the owner, when contacting the veterinary clinic, could tell in sufficient detail about each of them.

In addition, there is a seasonal cough – an allergic reaction of the pet's body to changes in nature.

Concomitant symptoms

Coughing in dogs can occur by itself or be accompanied by other symptoms. Among them:

• vomiting;
• admixture of blood in sputum;
• foamy discharge from the mouth;
• temperature rise;
• refusal of food;
• muscle weakness (the animal can hardly move);
• respiratory disorders, shortness of breath and so on.

Some diseases develop rapidly, can lead to the death of a pet. In case of sudden deterioration of the dog's condition, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Diagnosis of cough in a dog

At the reception at the veterinarian, the pet will be examined, and the owner will be questioned. It will be necessary to tell about the features of the cough, its prescription, the conditions accompanying the occurrence. You will need to provide information about the age of the dog, the presence of any diseases, vaccinations, conditions of detention, and so on. The complex of diagnostic procedures may include such methods as:

• x-ray;
• bronchoscopy;
• ECG;
• cytological, bacteriological examination of sputum.

Cough when a foreign body enters the respiratory tract

As a rule, if the dog choked or swallowed something superfluous, it copes with the situation by expectorating on its own. At such a moment, the cough begins suddenly, abruptly, accompanied by appropriate movements of the neck and head, a characteristic pose.

There may be another situation: the animal choked on a sharp bone, an object that, due to its shape or size, caught on the mucous membrane. Then the following symptoms may appear:

• coughing fits, prolonged, debilitating;
• during the cough reflex, the pet tries to push the foreign body out of the throat, as it were;
• wheezing;
• breathing difficulties;
• foam from the nostrils;
• cough with blood, foam;
• refusal to drink and eat.

It is impossible to hope that the dog will cope on its own. Try to pull out (or even make out) what got into her throat is almost impossible without special tools. The animal needs to be urgently taken to the clinic. Delay threatens the development of emphysema, inflammatory processes in the bronchi, lungs, pleura and other complications.

Aviary (kennel) cough in a dog

Aviary cough is a symptom of some infectious (mainly viral) diseases of the dog, so named because of the most common cause of infection – cohabitation or frequent contact of animals with each other. The source of infection is a sick or ill dog.

Signs of the disease are caused by the characteristics of the pathogen (parainfluenza, canine herpes, bordetella), as well as the state of the animal's immune system. After the incubation period has passed (up to 10 days), the following manifestations of pathology are possible:

• minor paroxysmal cough, similar to the fact that the dog choked, but less pronounced;
• cough with white foam;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• increase in temperature indicators;
• lacrimation;
• discharge from the nostrils.

The nursery cough lasts about 2 weeks. The stronger the dog's immunity, the easier it is to carry the infection, sometimes even without requiring special treatment. In severe cases, the use of antibacterial agents, antiviral, expectorant, immunomodulatory and others is indicated (according to the results of the examination).

Features of coughing in dogs with certain diseases

Cough reflex only indicates the presence of a pathological process in the body, and is not an independent disease. What kind of cough dogs have depends on the underlying disease. Knowledge of the features of cough syndrome and concomitant symptoms will speed up the diagnosis, will allow you to provide timely treatment and first aid to your pet.

Allergic reaction

Allergy in dogs manifests itself in a variety of symptoms. Cough may be accompanied by:

• secretions from the nostrils, eyes;
• swelling of the mucous membranes;
• redness of the eyes;
• sneezing;
• skin rashes;
• itching and other manifestations.

The owner should observe the pet, perhaps cough and other signs appear after eating a certain food, after a walk, have a seasonal character. If an allergen is detected, it is excluded from the dog's life, appropriate therapy is carried out.

Bronchitis

The inflammatory process in the bronchi – bronchitis – is initially accompanied by a dry, heavy cough of the pet. It is most pronounced in the morning: wheezing, whistling are heard. After a few days, the cough becomes moist, sputum appears whitish or yellowish. Among the additional symptoms of the disease, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and an increase in body temperature should be noted.

The owner should know that bronchitis can be both viral and bacterial, so the treatment in both cases will be different. It is possible to determine the pathogen "by eye" by the severity of the symptoms: with the bacterial form, they are stronger, and the condition of the dog is much worse. In addition, if bronchitis is caused by bacteria, the pet's body temperature will be higher than normal by 2 degrees or more (with a viral infection, it rises within one degree).

Helminthiasis

The life cycle of some parasites is associated with the migration of ingested larvae from the stomach and intestines to the lung tissue. Helminths spend about 2 weeks in the respiratory organs, and then expectorate, are swallowed together with sputum, and grow into adults already in the intestine.

Being in the lungs of a dog, worms lead to the following symptoms:

• wet cough with an admixture of blood;
• difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;
• temperature rise, sometimes quite strong, up to 43 C.

It is possible to say with more confidence that the cough has a parasitic cause if the animal had digestive problems, intestinal pain, diarrhea shortly before the named manifestations.

Lung infarction

In dogs with cardiovascular pathologies, there is a risk of developing a lung infarction. This may occur due to the detachment of a blood clot. A characteristic feature is a strong sharp pain, in which the animal jumps, can scream. Shortness of breath and cough with blood mucus begin almost immediately. The dog weakens before his eyes, the mucous membranes turn pale, the heartbeat is disturbed, the blood pressure drops, the temperature rises. The pet should be urgently taken to the clinic.

Laryngitis

Inflammation of the pharynx in a dog is also accompanied by a cough. At an early stage of the disease, it causes the animal torment: a dry and persistent cough causes pain, so the pet may refuse to eat, stop barking (or make hoarse, hoarse sounds). Gradually, the cough reflex becomes productive, a small amount of sputum is released, as the inflammatory process subsides, pain disappears in the mucosa. The body temperature remains within normal limits or rises slightly.

Adenovirosis

This disease has a viral origin. The mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and throat is affected. Symptoms of adenovirosis:

• sore throat (the animal reacts accordingly when palpation is attempted);
• enlargement of lymph nodes under the jaw;
• productive cough;
• cough discharge may be clear or cloudy;
• lacrimation;
• discharge from the nostrils;
• slight increase in temperature indicators;
• refusal of food;
• in the intestinal form, vomiting, nausea, indigestion, diarrhea and pain in the intestine are observed.

Heart diseases

If the dog has heart defects or diseases, then a cardiac cough may develop. It is characterized by the pink color of sputum, due to the leakage of blood into the lungs through the capillary walls. Foamy pink discharge from the respiratory organs is accompanied by other symptoms of heart failure:

• increased cough after physical activity;
• animal weakness;
• shortness of breath;
• the mucous membranes acquire a bluish tint.

Heart cough in four-legged friends, unfortunately, has a poor prognosis. At best, the dog will be able to live 2-4 years. Pathology is treated only surgically, but, due to the complexity and high cost of operations, they are not carried out.

Bronchial asthma

The development of bronchial asthma in a dog can be triggered by prolonged exposure to various allergens, chemical volatile compounds, nervous stress, weather conditions, infectious diseases. The dog coughs as if it has choked, accompanying the attacks with appropriate movements of the head and trunk. Characteristic signs of the disease are:

• the appearance of seizures after physical exertion, their absence during rest;
• the release of thick transparent mucus from the bronchi;
• bluish mucous membranes;
• suffocation during an attack;
• redness of the eyes;
• sneezing.

Cough in small dogs

Cough in dogs of small breeds is a frequent phenomenon due to the peculiarities of the structure of the pharynx, respiratory tract, maxillofacial apparatus, the location of teeth. So, due to the accumulation of bacteria, insufficient hygiene of the oral cavity and teeth, a pet can develop gingivitis, stomatitis and other inflammatory processes. The infection gradually passes to the mucous membrane of the larynx, trachea, settles in the pharyngeal tonsils, descends into the lungs.

The deep location of the tonsils plays an important role in the development of inflammation and cough. Their increase in response to an infectious invasion leads to narrowing of the laryngeal lumen, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath. If this situation is repeated often, then the tonsils must be removed. For preventive purposes, the owner of a small dog should regularly show the pet to a veterinarian in order to timely identify and eliminate problems with teeth and oral cavity.

Coughing attack in a dog: what to do to prevent choking

It's one thing when a dog choked or coughed, but coped with the situation on its own. However, it happens that the pet needs help from the outside – the attack may be prolonged, and the animal begins to suffocate. You can prevent suffocation by applying several recommendations.

• If this is an attack of reverse sneezing, then it is necessary to ensure that the saliva accumulated in the oral cavity is swallowed and a deep breath is taken. This is achieved by pinching a four-legged friend's nose or by running his palm over his throat several times.
• It is advisable to turn the pet over so that the head is below the trunk and limbs. You can shake the animal, make a series of slaps on the back. With a large pet size, you can raise your hind legs (the dog should stand) and also make a few claps at the chest level.
• In short-faced pets, there may be an overlap of the respiratory tract with the surrounding soft tissues. If the dog is suffocating, you can check the free passage of air with your finger.
• If the animal is not breathing, it is urgently necessary to start resuscitation: to ensure the supply of oxygen to the respiratory organs and to massage the heart area.

Attention: after such an attack, the animal must be shown to a veterinary specialist.

How to treat a dog's cough

Before treating a cough in a dog, you need to find out its cause, because sometimes even hospitalization of the animal may be required. Or another option – cough as a symptom of a cold. Such a phenomenon in most cases passes on its own within two to three days, and any attempts by the owner to "cure" him with antitussive agents can only harm. However, if the symptom does not go away, increases, others join it, then it is necessary to contact a specialist and do an examination.

When coughing in dogs, treatment at home or inpatient is possible, but in any case it will be of a complex nature. Depending on the cause of the pathology, therapy involves taking such groups of drugs as:

• antibiotics (penicillin, levomycetin);
• antiviral (fosprenil);
• anti-inflammatory (dexamethasone);
• immunomodulating and immunostimulating (interferon, ribotan);
• cordial (cordiamine);
• antidiarrheal (loperamide);
• antipyretics (paracetamol, ibuprofen);
• antihistamines (allerveta, diphenhydramine);
• anthelmintic (polytrem, arecoline);
• expectorants (broncholitin);
• antitussive (mukaltin, bromhexine).

In addition, vomiting medications that improve digestion, painkillers, general tonic and many others can be included in the complex therapy.

Attention: due to the numerous variants of the origin and further development of cough in a dog, it is highly not recommended to treat the animal without a preliminary examination and consultation with a specialist.

The treatment of cough in a dog is not limited to taking medications. The owner is required to create the most comfortable conditions: ensuring proper nutrition (if necessary, taking vitamins), the absence of drafts. If it's cold outside, the walking time should be reduced to a minimum.

It is possible to alleviate the condition of the dog by arranging a kind of "inhalation". To do this, in urban conditions, the bath is filled with hot water so that the air becomes moist. The pet needs to be taken to the bathroom so that it breathes steam for 10-15 minutes. This procedure will not only facilitate the discharge of sputum, but also eliminate swelling of the mucous membranes, reduce pain, normalize breathing. You can add decoctions of fir, eucalyptus, chamomile and other plants, sea salt to the water.

Since coughing in dogs is just a symptom indicating the presence of the disease, it is important to contact the clinic in time. Thus, the owner will prevent the development of complications in the pet, preserve its health, and also avoid additional material costs in the future.