A canine cough is not necessarily a sign of disease. A dog might cough because of allergies, kennel cough, or just because something is stuck in its throat. Occasionally, coughing might be a symptom of a more serious disease. A dog suspected of having an illness or disease should see a veterinarian as soon as possible for a checkup.
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Distemper
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Distemper is a canine disease which produces a dry cough in its early stages. Other symptoms include listlessness, fever and a thick, yellow discharge from the eyes and nose, dog breeder and trainer Norma Bennett Woolf says in the Dog Owner's Guide. Puppies get immunity to the disease upon birth through their mother's antibodies, but the immunity wears off as the puppy gets older. Yearly vaccinations prevent the spread of distemper.
Tuberculosis
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Tuberculosis is a rare canine disease. The main symptom of tuberculosis in dogs is a wet, moist cough, according to VetInfo.com. Other symptoms include labored breathing and hacking up bloody sputum. A veterinarian can diagnose canine tuberculosis with a chest X-ray. Upon diagnosis, tuberculosis is treatable with a course of antibiotics. Canine tuberculosis is contagious to other dogs and humans.
Congestive Heart Disease
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The most common symptom of congestive heart disease in dogs is a persistent cough. When a veterinarian listens to the dog's heart with a stethoscope, he will hear abnormal sounds in the area of the mitral valve on the left side of the dog's heart, veterinarian Ron Hines says at 2ndChance.info. The dog may also have fluid in its lungs and bluish-gray tinged gums. Mitral valve disease affects one third of dog older than 10 years, Hines says. The disease is manageable with a low-sodium diet and medication.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
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Affecting larger breeds of dog, dilated cardiomyopathy is a canine heart disease which produces a cough. A dog with dilated cardiomyopathy also shows weakness and exercise intolerance. Dilated cardiomyopathy develops much more rapidly than other heart diseases, Hines says. Dogs diagnosed with the disease will not live long, but the disease is manageable while the dog is alive.
Lung Tumors
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Lung tumors often affect older dogs, producing a hacking, persistent cough. The cough may produce phlegm or blood, Hines says. Most lung tumors in dogs are secondary tumors, meaning they originated elsewhere in the body and spread to the lungs. An X-ray shows the veterinarian the exact location of the lung tumor, and treatment might include chemotherapy. More advanced tumors might be untreatable, but the dog can live its final days in relative comfort with cough suppressants, steroids and bronchodilators.
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