Learning About The Treatment Of Kennel Cough

The treatment of kennel cough can start right in your own home. Determine what works and how well your dog will respond and get a jump start on getting back to those outdoor walks today. Read on...

Do you want to breed dogs or just enjoy working with dogs and have a boarding facility or kennel? Are you managing a kennel facility for an animal hospital?

If you can say yes to these questions you will need to learn about the treatment of kennel cough. Infectious tracheobronchitis is another name for kennel cough.

While kennel cough sounds horrible if your pet has it the disease actually is relatively minor.

Kennel cough is caused by a combination of two or more viruses or bacteria and is more likely to occur in areas where many dogs are together for extended periods of time.

Just like human colds and flu, the disease is transmitted through direct contact with the pathogens that cause it.

When pets or humans cough or sneeze thousands of tiny droplets with the infectious pathogens are expelled at high speeds and can settle on an uninfected pet or human.

If the pet is not immunized or has their immune system compromised (already has a respiratory infection or older pet) they are likely to contract kennel cough.

As stated before kennel cough sounds a great deal worse than it really is. (The bark is worse than the bite.)

Animals that contract kennel cough if not treated can create additional health problems. Treatment of kennel cough should begin immediately after symptoms show up.

If you do not help to lessen the severity of the coughing your pet can develop more symptoms and possibly stop eating and become lethargic and develop pneumonia.

Some easy home treatments you can try for kennel cough include running a hot shower and keeping the door closed to create a steam room atmosphere and let your dog breath in the hot moist air for at least twenty minutes.

The moisture will help the stressed airways in your pet and allow them to breathe easier and not cough as much.

Another great natural remedy is to use raw honey either in a mixture with water to help your dog drink it easier or alone as a way to help coat your dog’s throat and ease any soreness or inflammation.

Make sure you use raw honey as processing honey kills the helpful bacteria present in the honey making process.

Peppermint tea is another natural treatment of kennel cough. Make sure that the tea is at its strongest when you give it to your pet.

Peppermint will have a cooling and soothing effect and you can either have your pet drink it themselves from a bowl or you can use a dropper if they do not take to the smell.

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DISCLAIMER

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.