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Canine Cough
Canine cough is a natural reaction to an irritant in the airway, its causes
range from something as simple as a tight collar to serious medical
problems such as chronic pneumonia and respiratory track tumors.
Other possible causes are respiratory infections, congestive heart
failure, chronic bronchitis, collapsing trachea and inhaled irritants
such as plant and food particles (seeds, fumes).
Some canine coughs resolve themselves and others need medical intervention,
for this reason it is useful for you to have the information you need
to diagnose your dog's cough.
Diagnosing a Canine Cough
The type of cough can be used to acheive a diagnosis.
- A deep, dry, hacking cough that is made worse by
exercise or excitement is characteristic of Kennel Cough.
- A moist, bubbling cough indicates fluid
or phlegm in the lungs suggests pneumonia.
- A high, weak, gagging cough followed by licking of
the lips and or swallowing is characteristic of a sore throat or
tonsillitis.
- A spasm of prolonged coughing that occurs while lying
on the belly and at night is suggestive of heart disease.
- A "honking" cough in a toy breed indicates a
collapsing trachea.
- A high fever accompanied by a soft, gagging cough is indicative of canine influenza.
- A cough, that when listening to the chest produces
dry, crackling sounds, accompanied with fever, rapid breathing and
weight loss is suggestive of Pulmonary Infiltrates of Eosinophils or
PIE.
- A dry cough that is persistent and accompanied by weight loss and exercise intolerance suggests possible lung worm infection.
What kind of cough should be treated by my veterinarian?
Coughs
that come with labored breathing or shortness of breath, discharge of
eyes or nose, the production of bloody mucus/phlegm or a swollen
abdomen need to be treated by a
veterinarian.
Veterinarians will diagnose canine cough that symptomatic of serious
disease using X-rays, transtracheal washings or bronchoscopy.
Transtracheal washings are cell samples obtained by flushing the
trachea while the dog is sedated with saline solution or by direct
penetration of the trachea using a needle through the skin on the neck
and a catheter, the samples obtained are then used for cytology and
bacterial culture usually leading to specific diagnosis.
Bronchoscopy is useful in investigating the source of chronic canine
cough and coughs which produce mucus and blood. Your dog will be
sedated or anesthetized for the procedure in which an endoscope in
passed into the trachea enabling the veterinarian to see the interior
of the respiratory tract. Foreign bodies can then be removed,
biopsies can be taken and washings can be collected.
What can I treat at home?
Coughs that are minor and are of short duration.
Home TreatmentBreaking
the cycle is an important part of treating canine cough, which as you
remember earlier, was determined to be caused by an irritant to the
airway. Therefore, identifying and correcting potentially
contributing factors is the first step.
Start with removing atmospheric pollutants from the home environment such as:
- cigarette smoke
- aerosols (insecticides, hair spray, perfumes)
- strong household cleaners
- dust
The second step is to avoid pressure on the larynx (switch from a collar to a harness or head halter for the duration of the cough).
The third step is to minimize stress and fatigue and excitement, walk on a leash for exercise but don't overdo it.
The fourth step is to add
humidity for dry coughs by keeping your dog in the bathroom without the
fan running while you are in the shower or using a room humidifier or
vaporizer.
The fifth step is to administer
some over-the-counter cough medicine if your dog has an unproductive
cough or is coughing more than once an hour. Use Robitussin DM
(dextromethorphan/guaifenesin) is your dog is coughing more than once
an hour. This medication both liquefies mucus making it easier to
bring up while at the same time suppresses an unproductive cough.
Dose at the rate of .5 to 1 mg per pound of body weight or 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds every 6 hours.
Use Robitussin Chest Congestion which contains only the (guaifenesin)
if your dog has a wet or unproductive cough as it does not suppress the
cough and makes it easier for your dog to bring up the mucus. The
dosage is the same as the Robitussin DM.
Do not use products containing acetaminophen, caffeine, alcohol as a dog's system is different from a humans and
what is safe for us is not always safe for them, so be very meticulous
about the ingredients.
Please note that these medications are not licensed for use in dogs and
that the dosage will need to be adjusted if your dog has other health
problems such as but not limited to, liver and kidney disease.
Be sure to consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions
about what ingredients are safe for your dog based on his or her health
history.
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