Have you noticed that whenever the weather changes, your dog is prone to sneezing, runny nose, coughing, or even having a fever or loss of appetite? These are typical symptoms of a dog's cold. If not dealt with in time, it may cause more serious...
Have you noticed that whenever the weather changes, your dog is prone to sneezing, runny nose, coughing, or even having a fever or loss of appetite? These are typical symptoms of a dog's cold. If not dealt with in time, it may cause more serious complications and even endanger the dog's life.
So, why do dogs catch colds? What kind of disease is a cold? How can we prevent and treat colds in dogs? Today, we will answer these questions for you so that you can understand these 10 points in advance and prevent dogs from catching colds.
1. Causes of dogs with colds
There are many causes of colds in dogs, which can be divided into two categories: one is a general cold caused by changes in the external environment, which causes dogs to catch cold or heat; the other is a viral cold caused by infection by microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria or parasites.
Generally, colds usually occur in spring and autumn, or when the temperature changes significantly, such as cold winds in winter, heavy rain in summer, air-conditioned rooms, etc. These conditions can affect the dog's temperature regulation ability and lead to a cold. Generally, the symptoms of colds are relatively mild, mainly manifested as sneezing, clear watery nose, coughing, red and swollen eyes, and decreased appetite. They can usually heal themselves within 3-5 days, or can be relieved through some simple treatment and care.
Viral colds often occur when dogs have low immunity, such as puppies, elderly dogs, and dogs in the recovery period after illness. These dogs are easily infected by some viruses, such as canine distemper virus, canine parainfluenza virus, canine adenovirus, etc. These viruses can cause inflammation in the dog's respiratory tract, digestive tract, nervous system and other systems, causing colds. The symptoms of viral cold are relatively serious, mainly manifested as high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, bloody nose, and excessive eye boredom. They generally need to be treated under the guidance of a doctor, otherwise it may endanger the life of the dog.
2. Diagnosis of dog cold
Diagnosis of dog colds is mainly based on the dog's symptoms, body temperature, nose, eye poop, etc. Generally speaking, if the dog just sneezes, runs into clear water, coughs, and does not have a fever, it may be a general cold; if the dog has high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, bloody nose, and excessive eye boredom, it may be a viral cold.
Of course, these are just preliminary judgments. If you are not sure about the type of cold of your dog, or the dog's symptoms continue to decline, it is best to take the dog to a pet hospital for detailed examinations to avoid delaying treatment. Doctors will confirm the diagnosis based on the dog's medical history, physical examination, blood test, nasopharyngeal swab, etc., and rule out other possible diseases, such as canine distemper, canine parafluenza, canine parvovirus, canine coronavirus, canine bronchitis, canine pneumonia, canine heart and lung disease, etc.
3. Treatment of dog colds
The treatment method for dog colds depends on the type and severity of the cold, and is generally divided into two aspects: drug treatment and nursing treatment.
Medical treatment is mainly aimed at viral colds, because general colds generally do not require medication, or only some antipyretic and analgesic drugs are required. The main treatment of viral colds is to use antibiotics, antiviral drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretic drugs, cough relieving drugs, etc. The specific types and dosage of drugs should be used according to the doctor's prescription. Do not use drugs used by humans at will to avoid side effects or allergies.
Nursing treatment is mainly aimed at all types of colds. It mainly uses some daily nursing measures to help dogs relieve symptoms, improve immunity, and promote recovery. There are the following methods of nursing treatment:
4. Pay attention to keeping warm
Put your dog clothes and put a blanket to avoid getting cold or getting heated, keep the indoor temperature appropriate, do not expose the dog to wind and rain, and do not let the dog stay in the air-conditioned room for too long. /5
5. Replenish water
to provide the dog with sufficient drinking water, you can add some honey or goat milk powder to increase nutrition and palatability. If the dog is dehydrated, you can supplement the dog with some glucose saline or normal saline, or perform infusion under the guidance of a doctor.
6. Supplement nutrition
Provide dogs with some light and easy-to-digest foods, such as lean meat porridge, eggs, yogurt, fruits, etc., to avoid giving dogs greasy, spicy, raw and cold foods. If the dog loses appetite, you can feed the dog some nutritional creams or vitamins and other supplements.
7. Keep ventilation
Provide dogs with a clean and comfortable sleeping place, regularly replace mattresses and quilts, keep indoor air circulating, and prevent dogs from inhaling harmful substances such as dust, smoke, and odors. If the dog has difficulty breathing, you can use some moisture or atomizer for the dog to increase air humidity and relieve respiratory irritation.
8. Appropriate exercise
Arrange some mild exercises for the dog, such as walking, playing, massage, etc., to promote the blood circulation of the dog and enhance the dog's physical fitness. However, be careful not to overwork, and do not let the dog contact other potentially infected dogs to avoid cross-infection.
9. Vaccination
Regular vaccination of dogs can effectively prevent some common viral colds, such as canine distemper, canine parafluenza, canine adenovirus, etc. The time and type of vaccination should be determined based on the dog's age, weight, health status and other factors, and it is best to do it under the advice of the doctor.
The above are 10 points of knowledge about dog colds that we have introduced to you, I hope it will be helpful to you. If your dog has symptoms of a cold, don’t panic and take correct treatment and nursing measures in time to help your dog recover as soon as possible.
