How can I treat my dog’s kennel cough at home? This common dog disease is characterized by excessive coughing, which leads to difficulty in breathing and sometimes pneumonia. The most affected areas are the tonsils, the rear of the mouth and the base of the tongue. Since this is an airborne disease, coughing cannot be cured using antibiotics but can be managed using conventional treatments. Kennel cough is highly contagious.
Dogs often get this type of condition because they have come into contact with a sick or contaminated animal. If your dog was recently playing with other stray dogs in an unkempt park or was staying in a kennel where it was infectious, there’s a chance that it has already been exposed to an infectious animal. However, if you can prove that your pet is not the carrier of another dog’s disease, then kennel cough may not be so widespread. Another alternative way of determining whether a dog has something caught up in its throat is to give the animal a treat as a snack. But the same goes for humans; if we don’t wash our hands after touching the object that we touch, then we could still transfer the germs to others.
Some people ask how can I treat my dog’s kennel cough using home remedies. They say that there are no effective cures for this condition; only supportive care is effective. However, the problem lies in determining which supportive care is best. Many home remedies for this ailment have positive effects but their side effects are also high. In some severe cases, some home remedies can even lead to further complications.
One of the most common medications used in treating kennel cough in dogs is Loperamide, which is marketed under the names of Lufenuron, Methylene Blue, and Methyleneethacrylate. When administered intravenously, it can bring relief to the dog with moderate to severe respiratory problems. However, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Although some experts believe that Lufenuron works well on mild cases, most veterinary doctors would advise their patients not to use Lufenuron for kennel cough due to the fact that it is a drug, which can affect cardiac functions.
The next possible option in treating this disease is through disinfection of the air in the kennel cough affected area. Although disinfection can be effective, it might not be enough to stop the illness. This is because unlike most other infectious diseases, this one can have a wide range of subtypes. Some of these include interspersed mild, severe, and fatal. Therefore, you will need to consult an animal care facility or a vet if your pet exhibits any combination of these subtypes.
There are also medications available for use in treating kennel cough in dogs. These include amoxicillin, penicillin, and cephalexin. These drugs are usually used to treat complicated cases. However, they have been known to cause liver damage in some animals. Hence, they should be administered with caution and only when there are no other options available.
These days, there are many natural home remedies available in treating this illness. These natural remedies do not usually react adversely with each other or with dogs. They are usually made up of ingredients that can easily be found in the house. For example, some of the recommended remedy ingredients include lavender oil, thyme oil, and eucalyptus oil. If you can make a few tincture from these ingredients, you can actually treat your pets for kennel cough using these ingredients.
You should also consider another option that will help you prevent your dogs from getting coughs in crowded environments. Make sure that you keep their hutch in the same room or area where the outbreak occurred. This will help prevent transmission of the virus. So, the next time your dog coughs, you know how can I treat my dog’s kennel cough at home by using simple and natural remedies that are safe for the pets and especially for you.