Pets often become family members. The owners love them, show the necessary care, treat diseases, not sparing time and money. If a dog coughs, as if choking, treatment should be started immediately, without delay, in order to avoid the development of a dangerous ailment.
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Causes of a dog coughing as if choking
A harmless, at first glance, cough can be a signal of a serious pathology: heart disease, allergies, oncology. Such urges are of the following types:
- Aviary or nursery;
- cordial;
- parasitic;
- allergic;
- oncological;
- with pneumonia;
- with tracheal collapse;
- when foreign objects get into the larynx and trachea.
Each of the listed types of cough has its own characteristics, according to which it is determined.
Most often, it appears with colds. Perhaps your four-legged comrade caught a cold during a walk or was outbid. It is possible that infection from another dog with adenovirus, which is transmitted by airborne droplets. This can happen at a site where a large number of animals gather.
Signs of an aviary cough: dry, jerky sound coming from the bronchi. Indicates tracheobronchitis or laryngotracheitis. It is accompanied by symptoms:
- sneezing
- nausea, vomiting;
- lethargy;
- snort.
Heart cough appears when the heart muscle of an animal is weakened, which presses and interferes with breathing. Characteristic features: coughing, shortness of breath. Sometimes the dog opens its mouth and tries to breathe, as if it lacks air.
Parasitic - appears with the development of worms in the bronchi. Cough dry or slightly moist. Strengthens at rest.
Allergic - caused by flowers, food, chemical means of protection against fleas and ticks. Always accompanied by sneezing, non-stop, dry.
This type of cough has special symptoms:
- lacrimation
- the mucous membranes turn blue;
- a rash and itching appears, sometimes the temperature rises.
Oncological - occurs as a result of a tumor on the muscle of the heart or on the bronchi.
Symptoms: deep, with spotting or sputum. Shortness of breath is noticeable.
Concomitant symptoms: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite.
An oncological cough is permanent, sometimes incessant.
With pneumonia, the cough is deep, wheezing, moist with sputum. It is accompanied by:
- lethargy;
- wheezing in the lungs and wheezing;
- fever;
- weight loss;
- lack of appetite.
Tracheal collapse occurs in small breed dogs. Particularly susceptible to this disease are naughty pets. A fragile trachea is damaged or deformed by a collar. Constant coughing and shortness of breath with a whistle when inhaling, attacks of suffocation begin. To cope with this problem will help surgery.
The cause of a dog’s cough is sometimes a cramped and uncomfortable collar, while blocking free air.
If something is stuck in the throat or in the airways, a similar nuisance also occurs.
How to treat at home
To start cough treatment, you need to accurately determine its nature. This will help the veterinarian who will diagnose and prescribe appropriate therapy. To determine the causes of this phenomenon, the following procedures are carried out:
- endoscopy of the pharynx, esophagus, trachea, bronchi;
- X-ray
- bronchial biopsy;
- clinical blood test;
- sowing bronchial secretions.
Medicinal products
Kennel cough in dogs is treated with antibiotics (Bicillin, Cephalosporin, Sisomycin), give antitussive and expectorant drugs. Begin treatment 5 days after the onset of infection. The body must try to cope with the disease itself. If this does not happen, drug therapy should be started.
When taking strong antibiotics, it is strictly forbidden to use corticosteroid drugs.
Treatment of parasitic cough is carried out by special means:
- Drontal Plus from Bauer - tablets;
- Lawyer from Bauer - drops at the withers;
- Polyvercan from Ceva - sugar cubes;
- Procox from Bauer - suspension.
With the successful removal of parasites, the problems stop.
If a foreign object gets in, the treatment consists in carrying out the necessary medical measures. Sometimes surgery is required.
Oncology - the following tools are used:
- bronchodilators;
- steroids;
- B vitamins, also E, C, A;
- expectorant drugs;
- echinacea.
In allergic cases, first of all, they determine the source of the response and remove it from the pet. They give the dog the same medicines as people: Suprastin, Fenistal, Claritin and other medicines. Apply a specially developed drug for animals - Allervet.
Folk remedies
One of the best recipes of traditional medicine when a dog coughs is lemon and honey.
To prepare the composition you need 2 tbsp. l combine honey with 1 tsp. citrus fruit juice, mix with 100 g of water. Give several times during the day.
Echinacea tincture is a good remedy for fighting viruses and bacteria. In addition, squeezing a plant strengthens the immune system.
Given based on the weight of the animal: if the body weight does not exceed 10 kg, you need to give 7 drops, if more, then 15 drops.
In addition to these funds, an important component of successful treatment is the correct maintenance of the four-legged pet:
- there should not be drafts in the room;
- you need to ventilate the room constantly;
- the dishes for food, water, the bedding should be kept clean, disinfected;
- a balanced diet will help your pet get better faster;
- therapeutic inhalations facilitate the discharge of sputum, eliminate swelling of the nasal mucosa and nasopharynx;
- normalize breathing and remove pain.
To collect hot water in the bath, pour sea salt or pour in a decoction of eucalyptus, fir, chamomile. Bring the dog and let it breathe in healing steam for 10-15 minutes.
When your pet is choked, you can try to help him yourself. To do this, raise the dog so that the head is below the limbs and trunk, that is, down the muzzle. Shake gently, pat on the back. If the dog is large, lift it by its hind legs and lightly tap on the chest.
If the animal has stopped breathing, proceed to resuscitation: clean your mouth, try to release your throat with your finger to allow air to flow, do a heart massage.
In what cases is it necessary to contact a veterinarian
With a prolonged cough, when the dog loses weight, fever, constantly lies, and home treatment does not help, you need to contact a veterinary clinic and consult a specialist.
Dog coughing may be a symptom of a cold or some more serious illness.
Before proceeding with treatment, it is necessary to establish an objective diagnosis. Self-medication choices may turn out to be wrong and cause harm to the animal instead of benefit.
