What to do if your dog has a runny nose and cough

A runny nose and cough in dogs are usually caused by two reasons: catching a cold due to exposure to cold temperatures or being infected by a contagious disease. It's important to take your dog to a pet hospital immediately to rule out the possibility of distemper. If it's not distemper, symptomatic treatment is necessary, including administering antibiotics and cough suppressants. If the dog has a distemper-like infectious disease, it needs to be injected with interferon and monoclonal antibodies against distemper, and undergo aerosol therapy.

Causes of a runny nose and cough

If your young dog has a runny nose, purulent mucus, sneezing, and teary eyes, it's recommended to test for the canine distemper virus. If the virus is detected, antiviral drugs are necessary. If the dog is an adult and has completed its vaccination series with a high antibody detection level, it's mainly suspected of having a upper respiratory infection, and simply treating it with antibiotics and cough suppressants is sufficient.

How to deal with a runny nose

First, check if your dog's nose is dry. A healthy dog's nose should be wet except when it's sleeping. If your dog is experiencing a runny nose due to cold weather, the primary solution is to ensure proper warmth for your dog. You can provide honey water daily. If the runny nose is caused by a cold, the best course of action is to take your dog to a pet hospital for diagnosis to determine if it's a regular cold or the flu. Dogs with mild symptoms can take cold remedies.

Cough medication methods

If your dog has occasional coughing spells, it may be due to respiratory infection caused by a cold. Treat your dog's cold normally. If the cough is caused by something stuck in the throat, remove it promptly, and seek veterinary assistance if necessary. If your dog has frequent coughing spells, accompanied by other respiratory symptoms, and you suspect an infectious disease, take it to a pet hospital for diagnosis and treatment of the infectious disease.