Dog cough-five most common causes of canine cough

Dog coughing may occur for many different reasons, some of them serious and other minors. The dog may cough if drinking water too fast, or he may cough due to lung or heart conditions. Other common causes include canine distemper, allergies and parasites. This article will take a look at some of the most common causes of canine cough.

Cough

As its name suggests, the main symptom of this disease is coughing frequently. Dogs with a healthy immune system can get over it in about two weeks. However, puppies and smaller races can develop thick secretions that can cause pneumonia. This can be a life-threatening condition.

Distemper

One of the common causes of dog coughing is distemper. Most canines are vaccinated from this disease, but all of them are not. This disease can be fatal for puppies and dogs without a healthy immune system. Distemper causes symptoms that mimic the cold head of a human being. They include a dry cough, yellow discharge from the eyes and nose and a relatively high fever.

Nematodes

Nematodes are internal parasites that can cause canine cough. After infecting your dog, they wind up living in his intestines. Dogs because infected by ingestion of soil that has been contaminated with the eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the maggots crawling up your dog's trachea, which translates to cough. A nematode infestation is easily treatable.

Heartworms

Heartworms, on the other hand, have a far more serious problem. An infestation of these worms is often fatal. When the dog starts to cough, the disease has progressed already at an advanced stage. Treatment involves a series of injections given weeks apart. The first injection contains arsenic to kill the worms. The next injection is aimed to destroy the microfilariae that circulate in the blood.

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis infection is a condition in which the tonsils become swollen and painful to your dog. These two symptoms prompt your dog to try to cough violently tonsils. Some dogs will paw at their mouths. Treatment usually involves giving your dog antibiotics for several weeks until the infection has cleared up.