Natural kennel cough dog treatment
The kennel cough is a common disease affecting canines, especially those that have been in boarding kennels. The symptoms of a kennel cough include a dry cough and a general state of weakness. The kennel cough dog treatment may contain a few natural ingredients that won’t cause any side effects.
Symptoms of Kennel Cough
A dog with kennel cough will be coughing intermittently and the cough will be dry and worse during the night and when the dog is laying down. The dog may appear weaker than usual, but will have a normal appetite. The cough will last for up to 2 weeks and after this time the cough will go away even without treatment. However, the dog may need treatment, as the cough can cause a lot of discomfort.
It is important to diagnose the kennel cough before starting to administer any treatment, to make sure that the treatment is suitable.
Natural Kennel Cough Dog Treatments
The natural remedies to treat kennel cough may include honey, wild cherry bark or peppermint.
The honey, especially raw honey, may relieve the cough. Dogs may not like the taste of honey, but try administering this in a bit of warm water. You may also use a syringe or an eye dropper and administer the honey directly in the dog’s mouth. Give a few drops of honey every 2 to 3 hours or whenever the cough is worse.
The wild cherry bark is a natural ingredient that may relieve the cough by having a cooling effect on the dog’s air passages and may also reduce throat swelling. Get an extract of this herb and try administering it in your dog’s water. The herb is bitter, so your dog may not like it- you should try administering it with a syringe or eye dropper. You may also opt for teas, tinctures or syrups made of wild cherry bark.
Just like the wild cherry bark, peppermint may soothe the dog’s throat and have a cooling effect. You may opt for peppermint teas, which may be sweetened with honey. A few drops of peppermint tea once every 2 to 3 hours can be administered until you notice the cough is completely gone.
If the dog has a productive cough, you may opt for Yerba Santa teas or tinctures. This natural remedy can act as a decongestant and will also help relieving the cough.
You may also opt to buy natural supplements that are available in natural pet stores.
Prevention of Kennel Cough
Preventing the kennel cough is easier than treating it. You may prevent the kennel cough by limiting your pet’s exposure to kennels and by fortifying his liver and immune system. There are a lot of natural remedies that will strengthen your dog, talk to a homeopath or alternative medicine vet to get a few suitable products for your pet.
If the dog starts coughing up food and starts expectorating or coughing up blood, you should visit the vet. Otherwise, you may treat your dog at home.