Cure Your Dog's Kennel Cough

You go on a vacation and drop your dog off at the kennel believing you are leaving him in good hands. A few days after you get back from your vacation and pick your dog up from the kennel you discover that your pooch has a horrible, raspy cough as if he has been smoking Camel cigarettes the whole time he was at the kennel. You wonder what happened at the kennel, well, what happened is that your dog developed a type of bronchitis, which is very contagious between dogs. It's called kennel cough because it mainly developed between dogs that stayed in kennels that caught the virus from other contagious dogs. However, today most kennels require all dogs to have their shots before they accept them. Nowadays, kennel cough is more likely to happen between two or more dogs coming in contact with each other outside.

If your dog has developed kennel's cough there are a number of things you can do to help cure the condition. Make sure the air is clear of any thick odors like smoke or household chemical items. For a dog suffering from blocked airways, these odors can make the condition worse. The next thing you can do to help cure kennel cough is to use a humidifier or vaporizer to clean the air and help clear your dog's air passage. You can also take your dog in the bathroom after you or while you are bathing or showering so he can soak up the steam.

Another way to help cure your dog's kennel cough if he is coughing often is to give him some coughing medicine. You can give your dog coughing medicine for humans like Vicks 44D or Robitussin. However, make sure the medicine does not contain acetaminophen, which can be very dangerous to dogs. Many vets recommend giving your dog 2 teaspoons of the coughing medicine if they weigh 40 pounds and over, 1 teaspoon for dogs that weigh 20 pounds are less, and ½ teaspoon to smaller dog. Contact your vet to find out exactly what type of human medicine and how much you can give your dog.

Allow your dog to move around to help clear his airways but don't let them do too much, in fact, they wouldn't want to anyway. Remove tight collars and chains, which can make the cough worse. Also, make sure you keep your dog away from other dogs since kennel cough is very contagious. In order to prevent your dog from getting kennel cough make sure they have all their shots and don't take them to a kennel that doesn't require dogs to have all their immunizations. If your dog becomes lethargic, losses their appetite, and has a high fever take them to the vet to get antibiotics prescribed to help cure kennel cough.