Persistent coughing calls for trip to the vet’s office
Does your pet ever cough? When comparing dogs and cats, as with most things, a cough will have a very different meaning. For instance, cats rarely ever cough. Cat owners have to differentiate a true cough from a “hairball hack.” Cat owners understand what I am talking about. Cats routinely throw up hairballs since they groom and clean themselves so much. Throwing up — and the resultant acid reflux — can lead to simple throat irritation, resulting in a cough. But frequent bouts of coughing in a cat can be a sign of something more serious such as asthma or even heartworm disease.
Hairball hacks can be responsive to medicines like Cat-Lax or Laxatone. These are oral preparations that are based on petroleum jelly or mineral oil. They help lubricate the digestive tract and allow the hair to pass through. Science Diet also makes a food called Hairball Formula for preventing hairballs. But persistent, true coughing in a cat should be checked out by your veterinarian.
Dogs cough for a variety of reasons. None of them are good. A sudden-onset deep cough may be attributed to the virus bordetella bronchiseptica, also known as “kennel cough.” It is called this because outbreaks tend to occur at kennels or boarding facilities. Dog parks and grooming facilities are other sources of infection. Treatment often includes cough suppressants and antibiotics. There is a vaccine available that will help prevent infection if your pet is around a lot of other dogs.
Collapsing trachea is another common cause of coughing in dogs. Smallbreed dogs such as poodles and pomeranians are more commonly affected by this. The cartilage rings that support and keep the airway open become soft and collapse down on the airway. This causes tracheal irritation and a resultant cough. Frequent coughing can further damage the trachea. Bacteria are more prone to gather in the collapsed section of airway, causing tracheal infections that lead to tracheobronchitis. The chronic cough from collapsing trachea must be treated medically off and on for the life of the pet. Prevention includes using a harness rather than a collar. Keeping a pet’s weight under control is helpful. Overweight dogs are more prone to the condition. Medical treatment involves cough suppressants to rest the throat. Antibiotics are periodically necessary. These dogs do best if treated as soon as the coughing begins.
Coughing can be a sign of heart disease in dogs. The heart is a pump, and when not working properly, fluid can accumulate in the lungs, triggering a cough. Coughs related to heart failure typically are worse at night. Heart failure is diagnosed by your veterinarian based on the sound of the heart and lungs, and chest radiographs. Newer medicines such as Pimobendan can slow the progression of heart disease, so it really is helpful to get an early diagnosis and get going on medicine for this.
As you can see, all coughs are not equal. The biggest take away is don’t ignore a cough if it has been going on for a while. Early treatment can improve the chance for long-term healing.