Possibly you think that if your dog has a cough it is because he has a cold or because he has caught the well-known kennel cough, something similar to the human flu.
However, there are many causes that can provoke a cough in a dog and depending on the adjacent symptoms that it shows, we will be able to know if it is something mild or on the contrary, a serious problem.
Index of contents
- 1 Types of cough in dogs
- 2 Causes of cough in dogs
- 2.1 Cough from pharyngitis
- 2.2 Canine pneumonia
- 2.3 Canine cold
- 2.4 Cough caused by tracheitis
- 2.5 Cough from tracheal collapse
- 2.6 Cough caused by pulmonary edema
- 2.7 Cough caused by stings
- 2.8 Cough caused by spikes
- 2.9 Cough due to a twisted stomach
- 2.10 Cough in dogs from cancer
- 2.11 Cough from irritation caused by smoke
- 2.12 Other possible factors causing cough in dogs
- 3 What to do if my dog has a cough?
- 4 Treatment to cure cough in a dog
- 5 How to prevent cough in dogs?
Types of cough in dogs
It is important to know how to identify the type of cough that a dog has, since it will help us to give the origin of the problem. It can be a harsh, dry cough, very similar to that of a smoker, or a deep, wet cough, similar to that of a human cold.
Depending on the type of cough you have, we will know if it is a simple rash or a problem that is affecting your airways.
Causes of cough in dogs
In reality there are so many possible causes that can provoke a cough in a dog, that the best option will always be to go to a vet to carry out an examination and thus be able to rule out serious problems.
These are the main origins of cough in a dog, that is, pathologies and / or diseases that have an excessive and constant cough as a symptom.
Cough from pharyngitis
That’s right, pharyngitis can also affect dogs and as a result of irritation of the pharynx, symptoms can appear including an excessive cough. Cough from pharyngitis is frequent and dry.
- Information about pharyngitis in dogs
Canine pneumonia
Like many other diseases common in humans, dogs can also suffer from pneumonia. Having as a symptom, among many others, a wet cough and / or sneezing, accompanied by mucus.
- Canine pneumonia symptoms
Canine cold
Also known as kennel cough, it is something similar to the human flu. And depending on its severity, it requires veterinary treatment or not. One of the main symptoms is a very continuous and dry, rough cough.
- Kennel Cough Symptoms
Cough caused by tracheitis
The inflammation of the trachea of our dog also has as a symptom a dry and constant cough, due to the irritation and discomfort that it supposes.
- More information on tracheitis in dogs
Cough from tracheal collapse
We all know what dogs are like, capable of eating anything they find and as a consequence of suffering a collapse in the windpipe. This produces, among many things, a dry and insistent cough, in order to try to expel the object that is obstructing the trachea.
- Symptoms of a tracheal collapse in dogs
Cough caused by pulmonary edema
The accumulation of fluid in the lungs, due to different possible causes, results in a dry or wet cough in our dog (depending on the state of the edema).
- Information on pulmonary edema in dogs
Cough caused by stings
It sure sounds amazing to you but it is not the first time (nor the last time) that a dog bites a wasp or a bee and it stings its mouth or throat. As a consequence, inflammation occurs that requires immediate veterinary attention. One of the symptoms is also a cough.
- What to do if my dog is stung by a bee?
Cough caused by spikes
There are many dogs that, while playing, get into cereal fields or bushes. This poses a great danger since a dry spike can get stuck in your throat or nose, causing constant coughing and sneezing.
- Ears nailed to a dog’s nose or mouth
Cough due to a twisted stomach
We are talking about a really serious problem that requires immediate intervention by an animal medicine professional (a veterinaryn). The torsion of the stomach can end the life of our dog in a few hours, and among the symptoms is a wet cough with salivation.
- Information on stomach twisting in dogs
Cough in dogs from cancer
Unfortunately tumors can appear anywhere in our dog’s body, obviously including his respiratory system. The appearance of a tumor can cause, among other symptoms, a constant and repetitive cough.
- Cancer Information in Dogs
Cough from irritation caused by smoke
Have you never seen your dog cough when a car passes in front of it, making it breathe some of the smoke it expels? It is
a dry but not repetitive cough. The same happens with tobacco smoke, if we are smokers, our dog can suffer from cough as a symptom of the passive smoker.
- The danger of tobacco smoke in dogs
Other possible factors causing cough in dogs
Although many of the possible causes that we have mentioned seem to you, the truth is that there are still many others not mentioned. Although the most common are the exposed ones. Remember that internal parasites, allergies or any factor that causes irritation will also cause our dog to cough.
A dog can have a casual cough (caused by irritation or illness) or chronic cough, which will persist throughout its life.
What to do if my dog has a cough?
First of all we must make sure that it is not something serious, for this we will examine the mouth of our dog and we will observe if the cough is consistent or just temporary.
Smoke from a car can make our dog cough, without being a serious problem. However, if the cough is persistent or accompanied by other symptoms, we should go to a vet to examine our dog.
Treatment to cure cough in a dog
Completely forget about any home remedy you have found by searching the Internet, because there is nothing that can cure a dog’s cough without knowing what is causing it.
Depending on the origin, if it is a disease, an irritation or something that obstructs our dog’s respiratory system … Our vet will give us one treatment or another, sometimes even just rest, but it is something that only he can prescribe.
Never use syrups or human pills on your dog, because without knowing it, you could poison him and even kill him.
How to prevent cough in dogs?
If it’s a disease-caused problem, chances are there’s nothing we can do to prevent a cough, but a healthy daily routine can help prevent many diseases and cough symptoms.
- A healthy and balanced diet
- Exercise / walks and games
- Prevent our dog from being in contact with other sick animals
- Do not let him play by going through fields or bushes