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Upper Respiratory
Infections, Runny Noses and Coughs
Anne Jones RN, BSNE
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You notice a runny nose, hear a cough, think your dog may be
breathing funny. At what point does this require a visit to your
veterinarian? We seem to be far more willing to wait for further
signs of illness with our children than with our pets. As with a
child, a dog may have mild signs that will clear quickly without
treatment – but they may also be signs of a developing or a chronic
disease. We hope to help you understand what they mean.
As with most illness, the signs you see are just that – indications
of what is beginning in the upper respiratory system. Let’s discuss
that cough. It may be a dry cough or a wet cough. For instance with
kennel cough, the dog may have just a mild cough that seems
more like an irritated throat but then he may develop a hacking
cough that seems to go on and on. He may choke or may eventually
cough out some foamy stuff, especially when he has been more active,
such as running around outside. If this dog has been kenneled
recently, you may suspect kennel cough, a group of contagious
diseases that spread rapidly among dogs at boarding kennels, dog
shows or in a breeding situation. Sometimes it will clear on it’s on
after a period of time but it can lead to more serious
complications, such as pneumonia.
Prevention is easy with an intranasal medication so if you do expect
your dog to be kenneled, if you use a groomer where you leave the
dog all day or if you walk your dog or let him play in a community
dog yard, this is one condition that warrants immunization. The
disease may be either bacterial or viral; “kennel cough vaccine”
only protects against Bordatella so dogs may still be susceptible to
other infections. There is a bacterial form of disease that is
sometimes considered a form of kennel cough, called infectious
tracheobronchitis, which will require antibiotic treatment. Some
injectable vaccines also cover parainfluenza. You can discuss with
your vet which he or she gives routinely.
A dog with a cough should not be given cough suppressants without
veterinary examination to determine if the cough is pneumonia.
Pneumonia may be secondary to either bacterial or viral infection.
It can also result from aspirating a foreign substance or object.
Pneumonia must always be considered a serious illness and warrants
veterinary supervision of the treatment of an affected dog. One of
the essentials is to determine if there is an underlying genetic
predisposition to pneumonia, especially if the dog has had a
tendency all his life to respiratory problems. An inherited
condition, primary
ciliary dyskinesia, is an autoimmune condition that
will likely cause the dog problems throughout his life. To learn
more about this problem, click on the link in the preceding
sentence. It is known to exist in Bichons. Another sign of this
condition may be a chronic runny nose.
While noting that a cough may indicate any of the preceding health
problems, we would be remiss if we failed to indicate that cough may
accompany some heart conditions, giving even more cause for a
complete veterinary examination!
A runny nose can be a sign of sinus infection and that
infection may be a complication from an abscessed tooth, especially
to be considered in an older dog. Bichons have notoriously bad
history of dental disease and maintaining a clean mouth is
essential. The author recently experienced a 3 month ordeal in an 18
year old Bichon with sinus infection from an abscessed tooth and it
was not an easy treatment. One does not anesthetize a dog of his age
to pull a canine tooth with its long root so we were left with
treating the disease – and a lot of prayer! His recovery actually
began, after 3 months of antibiotics, when he finally sneezed hard
enough to rid his nasal passages of lots of junk, allowing proper
drainage. He had almost stopped eating (couldn’t smell his food!)
and was so thin that one wondered what was keeping him alive. Yet he
has recovered, gained a pound or more, and intends to join his
mother in becoming one of those rare 19 year old Bichons! Or so we
choose to think.
When do you go to the vet with any of these symptoms? Any mild signs
of respiratory infection can be watched for a day or two but once
the cough, the runny nose or the funny breathing begin to worsen,
sooner is better than later. For the dog with recurrent illness of
this type, it will be very important to find out if he has immune
system issues, from hypothyroid disease to primary ciliary
dyskinesia. With either of these, oversight by your veterinary will
be critical to maintaining stable health.
This article has been reviewed by a veterinarian for accuracy.
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