Dogs cough, or emit a dry hacking sound, when their airway or lungs are irritated. A parasitic or bacterial infection, kennel cough, a common cold or even a restrictive collar could be causing your dog to cough. If your dog's coughing is not treated in a timely manner, your dog could suffer pneumonia and possibly death. Treating your dog's cough with prescription medication and cough suppressants is essential if you want to successfully stop your dog from coughing.
Things You'll Need
- Antibiotics
- Cough suppressant
- Honey
Instructions
Take your dog to a veterinarian. The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine recommends describing or telling your veterinarian about the nature of your pet's cough, when the cough occurs and if anything brings on the coughing to help your vet pinpoint the exact cause of your pet's coughing. Blood and stool samples and an X-ray of your dog's chest and trachea will likely be taken and tested to determine why your dog is coughing.
Place your dog in an isolated, stress-free environment to allow your dog to heal quickly and comfortably and prevent other pets from catching any airborne illnesses your dog may emit into the air while coughing.
Give your dog the proper medication prescribed by your veterinarian. According to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, treatment of coughing patients depends upon the disease diagnosed and may include cough suppressants, antibiotics for bacterial infections and steroids for allergic lung disease. Follow all prescription medications carefully to ensure success.
Give your dog a cough suppressant. You can purchase cough suppressants for your dog at pet stores.