Just like people, when dogs start coughing they often have trouble stopping. This is often largely due to the fact that hard coughing can irritate the throat, which then results in more coughing. To soothe a dog's cough, you need to not only help it stop coughing, but also alleviate the irritation in its throat that is causing it to continue to hack.
Things You'll Need
- Honey Pediatric cough medicine Filtered water New food recommended by your dog's veterinarian
Instructions
Give your dog a tablespoon of honey every three to five hours. This can help soothe its throat so that it can quit coughing long enough to give its respiratory system a rest. If it is just coughing from irritation, then this will likely resolve the issue in about 24 hours.
Talk to your vet about giving your dog a small dose of pediatric cough medicine. The dosage can be measured by weight just as with children. Of course, this will not permanently resolve a respiratory infection in dogs anymore than it will in kids, but it will give their poor pipes a break.
Give your dog filtered water to drink. Some dogs develop allergies to the chemicals in tap water. Even if your dog has been drinking tap water for years, it may suddenly find that it cannot drink it without irritation. Switching it to filtered water may solve the problem.
Switch dog food. Just as with water, sometimes the chemicals or additives in dog food can cause an allergic reaction to develop over time. Changing your dog's food to another vet-recommended brand may solve this difficulty.
Try to keep your dog calm. Young dogs in particular often exacerbate their respiratory issues by playing aggressively even when they are not entirely well. Keeping your dog calm will help keep the cough at bay while its throat heals.