Coughing helps your dog or cat to remove any foreign bodies or mucus from the throat. Coughing can be chronic, continuous or intermittent. Your pet can cough for many different reasons, ranging from simply drinking to fast to serious long problems. Cats, specifically longhaired cats, can have hair balls in their throats, which can lead to coughing. If you notice your dog of cat coughing abnormally often and continuously, it’s advised to consult your veterinarian for a diagnosis.
How to Recognize
Pets cough just like humans do. Coughing may be accompanied by wheezing, watery eyes, or difficulty breathing. If your pet is having difficulty breathing, seek emergency veterinary care immediately.
Diagnosis
A deep, incessant cough in your dog is called Kennel Cough, because it is easily passed on between dogs in crowded places like kennels, dog parks, and vet offices. Bronchoscopy can be used to look at your pet’s trachea for other apparent causes of the cough.
Possible Conditions
A cough is usually just that – a cough. However, coughs can be a sign of another illness, such as fungal infections or respiratory problems like asthma.
Treatment for Coughing
If your pet’s cough is inhibiting his/her ability to breathe and/or lasts more than a couple of days, talk to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may be able to provide your pet with a cough suppressant or medication for an underlying condition.
Pet Insurance
When adding a dog or cat to your family you want to make sure your pet is happy, healthy and protected. During its lifetime your pet is exposed to many illnesses and diseases and some breeds are affected by a congenital disease which is a condition existing at birth. At these moments when your pet is ill or maybe needs surgery, you want to be protected for the unexpected and high veterinarian costs.
