Kennel cough home remedies may be the only required treatment if your dog moans of mild symptoms of kennel cough. This is because kennel cough in most cases, resembling the common cold of humans, is mild and may improve spontaneously with no need for treatment. In these mild cases, we use kennel cough remedies as soothing agents that fasten the cure, modify the symptom and help our canine friend to breathe more easily and feel better. But, be careful, if the symptoms don't improve within ten days, or they worsen, you have to consult a veterinarian.
We will focus on the most common home remedies which help to cure kennel cough at home and how they affect the diseased dog and enable it to feel better and accelerate its cure.
What is kennel cough?
Kennel cough is a highly infectious respiratory disease that affects the trachea and bronchioles in dogs and it's caused by different types of viruses and bacteria. It's further called canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD) or infectious tracheobronchitis. Its manifestations vary depending on the severity, which may be mild dry hacking cough or worsen resulting in severe life-threatening pneumonia. The dog gets kennel cough when it comes in contact with other infected dogs and becomes exposed to their respiratory secretions and saliva. This occurs especially in crowded places as in cases of animal shelters, boarding kennels, dog daycare services, grooming services, and dog parks. In most circumstances, spontaneous improvement and cure happen with no need for drugs. Kennel cough home remedies may be all that you need to treat kennel cough at home.
Commonly used kennel cough home remedies :
Probiotics:
They are foods and supplements containing beneficial bacteria that support the immune system greatly. They are helpful for both humans and our canine friends. They have a crucial role in treating kennel cough, as it may progress into life-threatening pneumonia. When Providing your dog with probiotics, be certain that they are supplements prepared for dogs. Pet Dophilus by Jarrow is a probiotic made for the dog, which you can use safely.
If your dog's vet prescribes an antibiotic, you have to ensure that the probiotics are taken after the antibiotic by two hours at least. As both antibiotics and probiotics eliminate the effect of each other, if they are taken at the same time, no benefit will be obtained and the cure of kennel cough will not occur.
Honey:
Honey is the most commonly used of all kennel cough home remedies. It helps in soothing the throat of a diseased dog and decreases the nasal congestion which accompanies kennel cough. lt also has an antibacterial effect. Its sweet taste is enjoyable for most dogs. The dose is half a teaspoon twice a day and increases to one teaspoon for large dogs. Be certain you introduce raw honey to your dog and not honey with preservatives or artificial flavors.
Coconut oil:
It is another magic food supplement, that is considered one of the most commonly used kennel cough home remedies. It has anti-viral properties. A spoon is poured over the dog's food to improve its condition and enable it to cure more rapidly. your dog will enjoy the smell of coconut oil.
Cinnamon:
It's a great food supplement for your dog with antiviral effects .you may sprinkle half a teaspoon of cinnamon over your dog's food to fasten its cure.
Wild Cherry Bark Syrup:
It is Obtained from food markets. Its ingredients include raw honey, apple cider vinegar, wild cherry bark, propolis, elecampane root, rose hips, licorice root, slippery elm bark, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, lemon oil, and ginger root. It can be mixed with honey and given in a dose of half a teaspoon three times a day for a small dog, and one teaspoon three times a day for a large dog.
Tossa K:
Its role is directed to fight infection. It contains mustard seeds, black seeds, olive leaves, and pau d'arco. Its dose is half a teaspoon four times a day.lt alleviates upper respiratory infection through its effect on the immune system and killing viruses and bacteria.
Humidifier:
It produces steam that helps to soften bronchial secretions.
Steam bath:
It helps to soften the mucus secretions of the nose and bronchial tree making air entry easier. You place your dog in a bathroom and use a vaporizer or shower with warm water to fill the bathroom with steam. Stay for about 15 to 20 minutes with your pet in that bathroom. Repeat this 2-3 times a day.
Herbal support:
As in the human common cold, we need to support the immune system using immune-boosting herbs like Echinacea. It helps the dog's immune system to get rid of the virus and helps to decrease the duration and severity of kennel cough.
Benefits of kennel cough home remedies :
It is an easy matter to treat and cure a dog with kennel cough at home. You can do this without too much cost. It is similar to the common cold of humans, not difficult to treat by home remedies. These kennel cough home remedies are effective and help greatly your dog improve and cure more rapidly. This is obtained with comfort at home.
Cost of kennel cough home remedies :
It varies widely depending on the number of remedies used at the same time. Of course, the cost will increase when you utilize more remedies. Moreover, when honey is used, the expenses change according to the type of honey used. A wide range of honey products is available in the market, its price varies, too. For example, honey treatment with wild cherry berk syrup will increase the cost more than that of other types of honey.
Improvement time of kennel cough by home remedies :
It depends on your dog, its immune system response, and the severity of kennel cough infection. After exposure to infection, it takes from five to ten days for the dog to show the initial manifestation. A dog may cure completely within a period of one week to one month from the appearance of the first symptom.
When symptoms continue without improvement for more than ten days, you have to consult your veterinarian. And certainly, if cough worsens or increases to more serious symptoms like dyspnea or wheezing, you should visit the vet clinic.
Effectiveness of kennel cough home remedies :
We have to know that kennel cough will complete its course and home remedies just soothe the throat of the dog, improve the symptoms, and strengthen the immune response, not deal with the problem itself. Yet honey has reasonable antimicrobial properties so it's useful for making symptoms of kennel cough less uncomfortable. So honey and other kennel cough home remedies just cause cough to become less hoarse and annoying, moreover, give a coating for the throat of the dog making cough easier.
Summary
Kennel cough home remedies are considered an easy, effective, comfortable, safe, and less costly treatment for kennel cough at home. You can use them safely in mild cases kennel cough. Still, you have to visit your vet immediately if the symptoms don't improve or the manifestations increase to a life-threatening condition.
By: Dr. Hanan Abdou
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