Your dog is making noises that sound like a cough. Unless the noise is excessive, some coughing noises are normal in dog breeds, such as bull dogs and pugs, which have short muzzles. If the coughing noise your dog is making is a new or recent sound, then treating it with a homemade cough medicine may help relieve the symptom.
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Diagnosis
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Determining why your dog is coughing is necessary before trying any medications. The most common reason for a dog coughing is kennel cough (tracheobronchitis), which can be a bacterial or a viral infection. Your dog could also have tuberculosis, parasites, pneumonia, cancer, distemper or heart disease. Other causes of canine cough include a foreign object lodged in the throat and damage or disease of the larynx, esophagus or lungs. Your veterinarian can examine your dog to determine the cause. She may give prescriptions such as antibiotics, antiviral medication, steroids and vasodilator inhalation or pills. Ask your veterinarian if your dog can have cough medicine before treating him as it may be harmful in some situations, such as when the dog̵7;s wet cough is helping rid its body of the mucus.
Herbal Cough Medicine
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Natural homemade or natural treatments to relieve coughing may be safer than drugs, according to Vetinfo.com. According to Dog Health Handbook, planago lanceolata (Ribwort plantain) can help chest, nose and throat congestion by decreasing and thinning mucus. Bryonia may help soothe the dog's throat and decrease mucus and thin secretions. According to Dog Health Guide, the herb echinacea purpurea helps the immune system by helping prevent pathogens from entering healthy tissue. Dog Health Guide lists magnesium phosphate C6 as helping with pain and relieving bronchial spasms. Most herbal and health food stores carry these items or you can order them online. Because herbal strengths vary, follow instructions on the product for dosage or consult with your veterinarian.
Natural Cough Medicine
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Raw honey, sugar and peppermint leaves, oil or candy stick can be given to a dog to help reduce coughing. Administer the ingredients together or separately. Break the peppermint stick into small pieces, put it in a cup, add enough water to cover the pieces, microwave for 15 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Peppermint leaves should be crushed or finely chopped and mixed with equal parts water or vegetable oil to help make administering easier. Because the major relief of the ingredients is soothing the throat as swallowed, it is important to not mix them with dog food or other substances. Give 1 tbsp. of a mixture or of just honey or dissolved sugar. Do not give sugar without moistening it to avoid inhalation risks. Give 1 tsp. of crushed peppermint leaf mix or 1/4 tsp. of peppermint oil. You can give your dog the homemade cough medicine every two to four hours as needed.
Tips
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A collar can make the cough worse. Use a harness, head collar or a non-tightening buckle-type collar.
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