A cold in dogs is a process that can be easily treated with home remedies. In this article on our site, we teach you what the common cold or constipation is in dogs, what its symptoms are and the home remedies that can be applied to our canine to improve symptoms.
It is a very frequent and relatively benign infectious pathology in dogs, which can often go unnoticed. Discover some home remedies for colds in dogs and put an end to this process.
Cold symptoms in dogs
The common cold, often mistakenly called the flu in dogs, is a pathology of viral origin (specifically, they are viruses belonging to the Parainfluenza family, although it can also be due to canine Adenovirus), which mainly affects the upper respiratory tract. The main symptoms in a cold in dogs are:
- Congestion.
- Cough.
- Sneezing.
- Runny nose.
- Crying eyes.
- General discomfort.
- Apathy.
- Lack of energy.
- Lack of appetite.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Fever.
- Muscular weakness.
- Headache.
- Vomiting.
- Drowsiness.
If the picture is accompanied by tenths of a fever, it is necessary to immediately go to the vet. For more information, in this other article we tell you everything about fever in dogs.
What can you give a dog with a cold?
Since the common cold in dogs is a viral infection, we will have to wait for it to undergo its evolution and subsequent natural curethanks to the dog's immune system. However, we can help strengthen the immune system of our canine to alleviate the symptoms of the cold for a faster recovery.
We must bear in mind that, although we would take paracetamol or a similar drug to alleviate the symptoms, the truth is that we cannot give paracetamol to a dog, as we explain in this other article about 10 prohibited drugs for dogs.
What can you give a dog with a cold? If you want to help your pet feel better and recover quickly, in the following section we explain some home remedies for colds in dogs.
Cold in dogs: home remedies
As we have mentioned before, it is best to let the viral process evolve and let our dog's immune system do the rest. However, if you want to help your canine alleviate cold symptoms, here are some of the things you can do:
1. Lots of rest
First of all, you should let him rest, because he needs to sleep much more than usual, since his immune system is fighting against the virus, his body will be more exhausted. Offer your dog an adequate space to rest, with a preferably soft but firm bed.
two. Keeping the dog hydrated
It is very important that the dog drinks a lot of water, so the drinking bowl must always have fresh and clean water. The water will help thinn the mucus and lower your body temperature slightly. If even drinking a lot of water your dog still has a lot of congestion, you should go to the vet.
For more information, you can consult this other article on our site on How much water should a dog drink a day?.
3. Moisten the dog's food
As a cold in dogs usually causes a lack of appetite, it is possible to favor the intake of food moistened slightly with lukewarm water (37ºC) or with a light meat broth (without s alt), also at body temperature. This remedy usually works to make the dog eat more and feel better.
You must bear in mind that the dog's metabolism speeds up with fever, so its caloric intake increases. It is not recommended to change the animal's diet, because sudden changes in food usually cause diarrhea.
4. Humidify the environment
If your dog has a lot of cough or mucus and is having trouble breathing, moistening the environment will help him breathe better. It can be done using vaporizers or simply by boiling water, to which you can add some essence, such as eucalyptus or similar.
In this other article we explain more home remedies for a dog's cough.
5. Limit the physical exercise of the dog
You should try to limit the dog's physical exercise, because it would increase the cough In addition, since one of the symptoms of a cold in dogs is discomfort and muscle weakness, it is not advisable to force the dog to perform physical exercise during its recovery, especially if the dog has a fever.
On the other hand, it is important to avoid taking your dog outside during the coldest hours of the day so as not to worsen its he alth.
6. Use a strain relief harness
Also in the case of dogs that go outside with great anxiety and pull a lot on the leash (which puts a lot of pressure on the throat), it is necessary to avoid it, either by putting on wider collars or using the harness anti-pulling, since that would make him cough more, thus irritating his throat.
7. Quality feed
Although this is not a home remedy for colds in dogs, but as a general he alth and preventive advice, I It is true that it is important and advisable to always provide our pet with the best possible food, since this will largely prevent it from getting sick and you will achieve a he althy and long-lived furry companion.
We recommend the use of natural feed for dogs, so that they have a he althy and balanced diet.
Home remedies for the flu in dogs
As we mentioned, many people confuse the cold with the flu in dogs, which is why we believe it is very important to clarify this other point as well. We have to keep in mind that, although they present similar symptoms, flu and cold are not the same Both diseases are caused by different viruses.
While in the common cold in dogs there may be a slight and occasional fever, in the flu in dogs the fever is usually more present and higher, which becomes somewhat more dangerous, since it can cause dehydration in the dog if we do not act properly. If you have doubts about whether your dog is well hydrated, in addition to going to the vet, you can consult this other article on signs of dehydration in dogs.
As for home remedies for the flu in dogs, these will be the same as for the common cold. However, you can find more detailed information on how to treat the flu in a dog in this other article on our site about flu in dogs - Symptoms and treatment.
