Why do dogs and cats cough?

Cough is a common problem among pets, especially in dogs during the off-season. Often owners are sure that the pet is sick due to cold and windy weather. However, often the cause lies in infections. When cold is combined with dry air, conditions suitable for the development of pathogenic microflora are formed. But viruses and bacteria are not the only causes of ailments caused by coughing.

The most common causes of cough in animals

Veterinarians of Animal Clinic in Kyiv and Kyiv region often receive patients with cough. It can be caused by the following factors:

• Congenital and acquired pathologies. This includes various diagnoses. For example, small breeds of dogs are characterized by tracheal collapse. It sags, not allowing air to easily pass, and is injured due to the influence of turbulent air flows. The trachea becomes inflamed, and the dog begins to cough reflexively. This symptom becomes chronic. Other common pathologies include brachycephalic syndrome, laryngeal paralysis, narrowing of the nostrils, nasopharynx. If the disease interferes with the normal life of the pet or threatens it, surgery will be required.
• Infections and infestations. In this group - infectious respiratory diseases, worm infestations, fungal infections. In most primary viral infections, the pet may sneeze, wheeze, have nasal discharge and acute cough. Our veterinarian in Kyiv makes a diagnosis based on clinical signs. In some cases, tests or X-rays may be required to exclude lung damage. Therapy involves the use of antibiotics and symptomatic treatments. Complications are the reason for hospitalization of the animal. If it is infected with worms and coughs because of this, the treatment is carried out on a trial basis: anthelmintic drugs.
• Immune-mediated diseases. Caused by an antigen that is foreign to the patient. The most frequent is cat asthma, which affects the bronchi and bronchioles. To effectively get rid of the problem, it is necessary to remove all possible allergens: tobacco smoke, perfume, litter box filler that forms fine dust. If the pet is confirmed to have asthma, lifelong therapy is prescribed, which requires periodic visits to the veterinarian. Asthma cannot be cured completely, but if controlled, the animal can live a full life.
• Foreign body in the respiratory tract. Cats and dogs sometimes inhale small objects. As a result, the respiratory tract is injured, inflammation appears, and a secondary bacterial infection develops. It can be accompanied not only by acute cough, but also shortness of breath, sneezing, purulent nasal discharge. A stuck foreign body can block the airways. Hardware diagnostics at Animal Clinic allows you to quickly determine the location and position of the object in order to properly remove it.
• Neoplasm. It can develop spontaneously and be benign or malignant. The degree of severity of respiratory symptoms determines not the nature but the size of the tumor. Cough can become chronic.
• Reaction to surgical intervention. The patient's body can cough in response to a newly performed endoscopic diagnosis or surgery in the nasal cavity.

Other causes of cough can be cardiac pathologies, disorders in the lymphatic system, diseases of the chest or oral cavity. In this considerable list of problems there are many that can seriously harm the body of a four-legged friend, if you ignore the need for examination and treatment.

Cough diagnosis

To clarify the nature of the cough, the veterinarian needs to take diagnostic measures. In addition to examination, hardware and laboratory tests may be prescribed:

• Radiography visualizes the state of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, chest cavity, heart.
• CT is performed when X-ray is not informative enough.
• Ultrasound of the chest cavity and heart reflects the state of the chest cavity in real time.
• Endoscopy - observation of the respiratory mucosa.
• Cytological and bacteriological tests give an idea of the cells in the airway lumen and help determine which antibiotics are needed.
• Histological tests - to determine the nature of the tumor.
• PCR - to identify a specific pathogen.
• Blood tests assess the functioning of internal organs, the state of the immune system, and blood.

If the animal has been prescribed a set of diagnostic procedures, it is necessary for a more direct determination of the diagnosis and the choice of appropriate therapy.

How to prevent cough in dogs and cats?

First, vaccinate your pet regularly against respiratory viral infections. The necessary drugs are included in the comprehensive vaccines. Do not let your pet come into contact with infected animals. Do not expose it to allergens. In any case, the main thing is to suspect the infection in time and start treatment.