
Is My Dog Affected by a Cold? Symptoms and Potential Treatments
Even animals can catch a cold. You can learn how to identify a cold and how to treat it in dogs.
A dog’s immune system can be compromised by cold and wet weather, contact with sick dogs, or a weakening of the immune system. A mean dog may not be a reason for concern. What are the symptoms of a dog’s cold?
Is the dog suffering from a cold or flu?
If the dog is suffering from a cold, different symptoms can appear in conjunction with one another or separately. Cold symptoms in dogs include sneezing and a runny nose.
A cold can also be indicated by a quadruped wiping its paws on the nose of the dog or rubbing it against objects.
Many dogs who have a cold will also cough. If it’s worse, they may also be suffering from a fever or seem weak.
Your four-legged companion may snore excessively when it is cold. A rattle is also common, and is caused by the narrowing of a respiratory tract.
Dog owners can also tell that their dog is sick by the general state of its body. The faithful pet may be sleeping more than usual and seeming tired and listless. It might also not be as agile when walking or playing as it usually is.
Your cold quadruped may also eat less than usual, or not touch the food at all.
Here’s a list of the most common signs of a dog cold:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose and congestion
- Watery Eyes
- Cough
- Listlessness
- Loss of appetite
- rattling
Not all colds require a visit to the vet. If your pet has a mild cold and cough, there are several options to help them get back in shape.
A dog’s cold usually goes away as fast as it arrived. As with humans, the most important thing to do for your dog is to give him a good night’s sleep and rest. When you’re sick, a good night’s sleep will be worth its weight.
Allocate your pet some time to rest and regenerate. Take him for short walks outdoors, avoiding long periods of cold weather and wet conditions. One thing must be ensured above all: enough liquid.
The most important treatment for a cold in a dog is to ensure that your dog is drinking enough fluids. Water helps us humans flush out germs and prevent mucous membranes drying out.
You can trick your patient into drinking more by soaking dry food in water.
Caution. You should avoid giving your pet any human-only medications. These medications are not suitable for quadrupeds, and they can cause poisoning.
Watch your sick dog. If the signs or symptoms don’t improve after a couple of days, it is time to take him to the veterinarian. Veterinarians are better equipped to treat fever. A strong cough and viscous sputum can also be signs to visit the veterinarian with your furry nasal.
These are symptoms that make a visit to the vet necessary.
- Severe fatigue and weakness
- The dog does not drink much or eats very little
- The nasal discharge is yellow or green and viscous
- Severe cough
- Sneezing that persists
- Shortness of Breath
If you notice that your dog is cold, and has a temperature over 38 degrees Celsius, or if the discharge coming from his nose becomes greenish or yellowish in color, then it’s time to consult a vet. Antibiotics may be needed to treat a bacterial infection. Antibiotics are not effective against the common cold which is caused primarily by viruses.
Cough suppressants are another option for treating severe cough.
Many owners worry that their dogs will get sick when they have a cold, a cough, or a blocked nasal passage.
But is it even possible? However, unlike rabies for example, the virus is not dangerous to humans.
A cold is unlikely to be transmitted from an animal to a human. There are several different cold viruses. Usually, the viruses that affect dogs don’t affect humans or vice versa.