Did you know that dogs cough too? Do you have any idea where the cough in dogs comes from? We invite you to read this article to discover the reasons that cause your pet to cough, what treatment should be provided and how to prevent coughing through a deworming plan.
Cough in Dogs
Cough in dogs can derive from various causes, so it is absolutely important that we have an adequate diagnosis, which provides our dog with the help it requires from its veterinarian, by prescribing the treatment that is required. It is because we want to help you in these cases that in this article we will proceed to explain where the origin of your dog's cough may be.
We do not want to scare you from the beginning, but it is most likely because your dog has some parasites that have infiltrated his lungs or his heart, and that are also the cause of very serious and potentially fatal diseases, which due to to the living conditions in which we find ourselves, its proliferation is more active than ever.
Why do dogs cough?
Before explaining the reason why dogs cough, we need to know that coughing is a reflex effect that is caused by the presence of an irritation found somewhere in our dog's respiratory system.
In this way, it can be caused by infections in the respiratory tract, due to the existence of irritating elements, such as some vegetables or leftover food, because your dog has heart ailments, tumors, parasites or simply because the constant pressure of a very tight collar.
The action of coughing increases irritation, so the cough intensifies and continues. It can be deep, dry, wet, sharp, weak or prolonged. The characteristics that you have observed in your dog's cough will allow the veterinarian to obtain the proper diagnosis, depending on the behavior that your dog exhibits when he coughs.
In this way, it can be determined if there are other symptoms that may be associated with respiratory alterations, as well as ocular or nasal discharge, sneezing or expectoration. In any case, as long as we recommend that you consult an expert in the field. In any case, in this section we are going to mention the most common causes of cough in dogs.
Cough in dogs due to foreign bodies
This situation can occur when your dog has a foreign body or object that is lodged in its airways. It is one of the first reasons why our dog has a cough. These objects or bodies can be toys, bones and their splinters, hooks, ropes, the reality is that they can be a multiplicity of things.
In case it seems to us that our dog coughs as if something was stuck in his throat, as if he was gagging or wanted to vomit, it is most likely that we are facing one of these assumptions. Another sign that will indicate that his cough comes from a foreign object is that the animal will exhibit strange behavior, be restless, anxious.
In addition, depending on the place where the foreign body is located, it is most likely that it will try to free itself from it, trying to put its legs in its mouth. Likewise, it may be that you observe hypersalivation in him or that he tries to vomit. Now, if the foreign body is located somewhere in the larynx, we may observe that our dog coughs as if he were drowning.
If we have observed any of these behaviors or symptoms, of course we are facing a case of veterinary emergency. What we always advise is that we prevent our pet from eating food or objects that are likely to cause obstructions of this type.
kennel cough
Another explanation for the fact that our dog has a cough could be that the pet has a disease that is commonly known as kennel cough. As its name indicates, the way the dog coughs is the characteristic symptom of this disease, which turns out to be more common in dogs that are housed in communities or kennels, since it is very contagious.
The truth is that it is not a single type of disease, but a series of respiratory diseases that are caused by different bacteria and viruses, such as the parainfluenza virus or Bordetella bronchiseptica.
In these cases, the dog coughs and gags and usually does not exhibit other symptoms, since it is usually a minor ailment. In any case, our pet's veterinarian should be consulted, because it is a disease that, if not attacked from the beginning, can lead to various complications, such as pneumonia, for example.
But if you also realize that the dog has a fever, has no appetite and suffers from a runny nose, does not tolerate exercise, has sneezing and respiratory problems. In these cases we recommend that you go to the vet immediately, so that he can indicate the appropriate prescription for your pet.
On the other hand, we also inform you that for many of these ailments there are vaccines that can help prevent them. In any case, you must take the necessary precautions so that your dog does not get infected from other dogs.
Cough in dogs due to pharyngitis
One of the diseases that can also be the cause of your dog having a cough is pharyngitis. It is associated with infections in the mouth or with systemic infections, as in the case of canine distemper, which is very common in puppies, and which can cause your pet to cough and vomit, but can also have diarrhea, loss of appetite or apathy. Pharyngitis usually causes pain, which can cause the dog to refrain from eating.
As we always recommend, it should be the veterinarian who must diagnose the cause of your dog's cough and prescribe the appropriate treatment. If this is the case, you need to give your pet antibiotics, also making sure that the dog is fed properly, for which wet food is a good option.
Cough in dogs due to bronchitis
In the event that our pet has a cough and it has persisted for a few months, it is most likely that the reason the dog has had that cough for all that time is that he suffers from chronic bronchitis, which is a common disease in dogs. middle-aged or elderly. Its origin is generally unknown.
When we are facing this type of disease, coughing fits can end with an expectoration of saliva that can have a foamy appearance and is often confused with vomiting. What happens is that if the disease is not treated, it can cause irreversible injuries in the dog.
It is essential in these cases to go to the veterinarian, so that they indicate the appropriate medication, and the inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles can be reduced. Preventive measures must also be taken at home, such as eliminating potential contaminants from the environment that can bother the dog or using a harness so that he can walk.
Cough in Dogs Due to Lungworms
It may be that your dog has parasites in his lungs or, in general, in his respiratory system, which could be a cause that would perfectly be the origin of cough in dogs. There are several species of these parasites that can infect dogs and they are acquired when our pet ingests an intermediate host, such as snails.
This ailment normally produces a slight cough, or our dog may not show any symptoms and, nevertheless, is infested with these parasites or worms. In younger dogs, it can present as a persistent cough, which may be accompanied by weight loss and the animal's refusal to exercise.
In these cases you must be careful, because when the dog coughs, the larvae of the parasites reach its mouth and the dog swallows them, expelling them later in the feces, so you must check them, even if it seems unhygienic, because it is the health of your pet.
These parasites can also cause coagulation problems, which further complicate your dog's health, and can even cause his death. All this indicates that a correct treatment is required, and also to adopt a deworming plan agreed with our veterinarian, whose objective is to prevent these problems.
Heart diseases that cause coughing in dogs
It is normal for us to think that cough should be associated with respiratory ailments, but the truth of the matter is that some heart problems are also associated with dog cough. An enlargement of this organ will prevent its proper functioning and this will produce effects on your lungs, giving rise not only to cough, but also to exercise intolerance, fatigue, weight loss, ascites, respiratory difficulties and even fainting.
This class of symptoms can be found in diseases such as dilated cardiomyopathy, chronic valvular heart disease or filariasis, which is potentially fatal. The latter is caused by heartworms and its risk increases when temperatures also increase, an issue that facilitates the development of its vector, which is a mosquito that has filarial larvae in its oral organ, which it will transmit to the dog.
The filaria will develop its life cycle inside your dog and will try to settle in the heart and pulmonary arteries, thereby affecting their functions, becoming a fatal risk for our dog. Another issue that we must take into account is that if the larvae move, they can obstruct blood circulation in the lungs, causing pulmonary thromboembolism.
But if the worms affect the hepatic veins, then they will cause a vena cava syndrome, which is what causes liver failure. These types of parasites have adequate treatments, but we must be very careful, because during their application it may be that the larvae and dead parasites can cause obstructions, the outcome of which is the death of our pet.
What to do if my dog coughs a lot?
If you have noticed that your dog coughs continuously and that it does not go away, as well as any of the other symptoms that we have mentioned here, please take him immediately to a trusted veterinarian, who will carry out the necessary examinations and tests. are required and you will be able to establish the cause of the cough. The veterinarian will also give you the necessary indications so that you can give your dog the appropriate treatment, according to the condition that he has.
The importance of adequate preventive medicine
As we have shown you, there are multiple pathologies that can affect your dog and that, we have to say, can also be transmitted to people and vice versa, for that reason, it is absolutely important that an agreed vaccination and deworming schedule is followed. with our veterinarian, because it is one of the factors that will allow us to help our pet to have good health, which will also help the health of the family.
With this in mind, we always recommend visiting the vet every 6 months, following a preventive monthly deworming plan and treating any pathology or ailment that is affecting our dog as quickly as possible, always using the products that have been prescribed by the vet.
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