Pneumonia Treatment for Dogs

We all love our pet dogs and enjoy spending time with them. However, if you want your dog to always remain fit and healthy, you need to take special efforts and ensure that it gets a good diet essential for its growth. It is also important to provide the dog with right treatment, in case it is sick due to some reasons. Pneumonia is a common dog health problem, which needs timely treatment to avoid further complications. The worst affected ones among the dogs in case of pneumonia, are those less than one year of age. Pneumonia treatment for dogs is essential to avoid the inflammation of the bronchi and the lungs. The treatment should be started immediately as pneumonia in dogs can prove to be fatal. Now, let us know the causes of pneumonia in dogs.

Pneumonia in Dogs - Causes

Infections - mainly caused due to parasitic, fungal or bacteria, and those because of viruses are the prime causes of pneumonia in dogs. Dyskinesia; lack of proper nutritious diet, malnutrition, drug immuno-suppression and the reduction in the clearance of the debris, which are inhaled from the lungs are also some other important causes of pneumonia in dogs. But, pneumonia resulting due to bacterial infections is more dangerous for the dogs than the other causes of pneumonia. Treatment is needed for completely curing bacterial pneumonia in dogs. The fact that certain dog breeds are more prone to pneumonia than the other breeds has a medical proof.

Pneumonia in Dogs - Symptoms

The symptoms of pneumonia in dogs can help detect this disease in time and save your dog. They are as follows:

• Frequent coughing
• Fever
• Dehydration
• Facing breathing problems
• Mucous secretions
• Appetite loss
• Nasal discharge
• Panting and lethargic behavior

The bulging out of the lips of the dog, rapid breaths, blue color of the tongue and lips and increase in the body temperature are some other signs which are among the other symptoms that show there are some problems with the dog's health. As the oxygen content in the blood decreases, the health problems in the dogs aggravate to a great extent.

Pneumonia in Dogs - Treatment

The cure can be carried out at home, if the dog's condition is not too serious and it is having its food normally. The veterinary doctor will ideally give stress on the optimal hydration by the application of the fluid therapy. Your dog may also have to undergo airway humidification using a vaporizer. Opening the delicate bronchial tubes by giving medicines such as terbutaline, theophylline or albuterol is also necessary. In the treatment for pneumonia, gentle taps are given to the wall of the chest of your dog to assist the process of coughing. The antitussive drugs however, are not recommended for suppressing the reflexes of the cough in the dogs.

The treatment involves solving the problem of breathing difficulty due to oxygen shortage by giving supplemental oxygen. Hospitalization might be required in many cases and giving humidified oxygen is also very essential. Removal of external elements which are supposed to be the root causes of pneumonia in dogs, can be done with a surgical procedure which is also a part of the treatment of pneumonia. The antibiotic treatment should be given after taking into consideration the dog health at that particular point of time and the suggestions of the veterinarians. Nebulizers, which actually contain antibiotic medicines, are also used as they help to provide the necessary moisture.

Everyone knows that dogs are known as a man's best friend, and if you want his companionship for a longer time, you should take appropriate dog care measures while carrying on the treatment. Act fast and do not wait for the situation to worsen, if you discover any health problems in your pet dog.