Kennel Cough Treatment

Kennel cough, also referred to as tracheobronchitis is a disease which inflames the upper part of the respiratory system. There are varied reasons for this illness like viral infections that include canine distemper, canine parainfluenza virus, canine adenovirus, canine respiratory coronavirus, etc. But, most of the time, it is caused due to bacteria.

When the kennel cough is to a mild extent, it is cured within a week or two without any treatment. But in severe cases, this cough might persist for a month and cannot be cured without visiting a veterinary doctor. This cough worsens at night while lying down and the breathing becomes tough. The collar of the dog should be loose enough so that the coughing does not become difficult and uncomfortable.

The dosage of the drug for kennel cough treatment varies according to the age and weight of the dog. Feed your pet with lots of vitamin C supplements so that the dog will recover fast. Vitamin C is one of the best anti-infection drug and can be used for relieving lung and nasal problems like cough and cold. It helps to fight any kind of infection and hence, it can also be used for kennel cough treatment. In order to prevent recurring kennel cough in dogs, you can treat it with intra nasal vaccine. The same vaccine can also be used for the treatment kennel cough in cats. Most of the veterinary doctors also recommend this vaccine which is one of the best kennel cough medicines.

Symptoms of Kennel Cough
These symptoms are like common cough symptoms. You should keep an eye on your pet if it is prone to cough or has a weak immunity. A few kennel cough symptoms are:

• Dry and hacking cough
• Sneezing
• Gagging response
• Fever
• Nasal discharge
• Coughing up mucus
• Pneumonia

Kennel Cough Home Remedy
During the beginning stages of the cough, drosera can be given. It is also referred to as sundew and is derived from carnivorous plant. But, this kennel cough remedy proves to be ineffective in the later stages. In the intermediate stages, you can give dulcamara which is an extract of woody climbing plant. If the cough has become severe and is producing mucus, then you can opt for coccus which is derived from a citrus pest. These homeopathic remedies for kennel cough treatment will surely prove to be useful. In order to treat kennel cough in puppies, you can use food grade hydrogen peroxide and honey. For each 8 ounces of water, put 3 drops of three percent of peroxide and 2 tablespoons of honey. The smell of hydrogen peroxide is strong and hence dogs avoid it. So, in its place you can use molasses as a substitute. Add 3 drops of hydrogen peroxide to 8 tablespoons of milk which is one of the kennel cough cures. The air around the pet should be kept humid. In order to increase the humidity in the air, you can also use a vaporizer or a humidifier. If the air is humid, then the pets find it easy to breathe. Keep the pet dehydrated and make sure that it is not overexerted. Make the puppy do some moderate exercises. Read more on home treatment for kennel cough.

If the cough persists in spite of trying all the possible kennel cough treatment, then you can take your pet to a veterinary doctor. Most of the doctors treat the pet with kennel cough vaccine. Since, most of the time this cough is caused due to bacteria, the veterinary doctor might also suggest some suitable antibiotics. But, some vets recommend the dosage of antibiotics only when the cough becomes severe and when the pet dog suffers from pneumonia. Most of the time, the vets also prescribe a cough suppressant.

This was all about kennel cough treatment. These treatments will surely be helpful if your pet suffers from kennel cough. The symptoms mentioned above will also help you to detect if your pet is suffering from kennel cough or not.