Bronchitis In Dogs
A Brief Guide to Bronchitis in Dogs
There are various reasons for an outbreak of bronchitis in dogs. Some dogs experience allergies that trigger bronchitis, or sometimes it is caused by flu. At other times the reason might be internally caused by heart, liver or kidney malfunctions. Thus, it is very important to find out why your dog is sick before treatment can commence. This can certainly only be diagnosed by a vet. This article will give you some brief information about bronchitis in dogs so that you are able to react quickly and cure your loved one as soon as possible.
Symptoms
Your dog will actually cough if a bronchitis infection is present. While this is already a little strange, you must be alert to the type of cough. If it is a barking, strong, and dry cough it is definitely a symptom of bronchitis. Similarly you may notice that your dog tries to suppress the coughs as they cause pain. When this type of cough occurs, it can be related to an internal malfunction.
If the coughing is more wet and sounds more like an asthmatic cough, the cause is usually an infection of the respiratory tracts or in other words a normal bronchitis that developed out of a cold or flu. This type of cough actually sounds worse than the dry kind, but it is less harmful. A wet cough indicates that the body is cleansing and trying to get rid of the bacteria that are causing the infection. You may encounter a lot of mucus which is actually a good sign. In this case the coughing should in fact not be stopped because it is the natural way of fighting the infection. Your vet may prescribe something to ease any pain or to loosen up the mucus which speeds up the healing process.
Very often bronchitis in dogs is interlinked to another illness or infection such as an infection of the lungs or respiratory tracts. It is very important to take your dog to a vet as only a professional will be able to determine what kind of disease your dog is really suffering from. If the bronchitis is a secondary infection of a much larger issue, it must be detected as soon as possible.
Therapy
If the bronchitis is triggered by an allergy you must first find out what your dog is allergic to. Your vet will be able to help you with that and then prescribe something to boost your dog's immune system so that the allergic reaction can be eliminated.
Bronchitis in dogs that is caused by a heart disease sounds worse than it is: just like humans, dogs can take heart medication to support whatever is defect.
If the bronchitis is the result of a viral infection (cold, flu etc) the therapy is very simple and the disease can be wiped out with a few simple medications.
If these types of infections seem to reoccur, a more thorough examination must be scheduled. This examination is helpful to determine whether your dog has a fungus infection, bacterial infection, any issues in blood or urine or general issues with their lungs. The vet may take a blood sample, urine sample, pep smear, ultra-sound, x-rays and stool sample to identify the problem.
It is crucial to see the vet when the coughing occurs because the longer you wait, the more severe will the disease be in the end. Otherwise your dog may develop a chronic bronchitis that could have been prevented easily. The normal bronchitis therapy does not take very long and your dog should be up and running within a couple of weeks. It is important not to treat your dog with any medication before knowing what caused the infection.