Is kennel cough treatment possible at home? Actually, kennel cough is not that different from any cough you’d get yourself as part of the ordeal we call the common cold — and it so happens that the at-home kennel cough remedies listed below work beautifully on humans, too. Of course, contact your vet before you try any of these remedies at home and call him immediately if your dog’s kennel cough persists or worsens.
At-Home Kennel Cough Treatment #1: Probiotics
Probiotics are a great at-home kennel cough treatment. Photography by WebSubstance/Thinkstock.
Besides being excellent for oral and digestive health, these beneficial bacteria do wonders to support the immune system. This is critical when treating kennel cough, which could easily progress to life-threatening pneumonia if left untreated. Be sure to give your dog a probiotic supplement made for dogs, such as Pet Dophilus by Jarrow.
And if your vet has prescribed a course of antibiotics for your dog (which is a common veterinary procedure in treating kennel cough), be sure to wait at least two hours after administering the antibiotic before giving the probiotic, or the two will cancel each other out and healing won’t happen.
At-Home Kennel Cough Treatment #2: Cough Syrup
Give Spot a lovin’ spoonful of your favorite decongestant cough syrup, but don’t give a suppressant formula; the idea is that you want the coughs to keep coming, and to be productive (i.e., to bring up the phlegm). My two favorite cough syrups are made by Nature’s Way: Umcka Cold Care (cherry flavor) and Sambucus. These products have become so popular in the last couple of years that they’re now widely available at major drugstore chains as well as at Whole Foods.
With either syrup, use a syringe to measure out one teaspoon and dose your dog three times daily. Carefully squirt the syrup down her throat with the syringe, then close her jaws and gently massage her throat so she swallows it all. Dogs are usually surprised at the pleasant taste (Sambucus tastes like a blackberry syrup you’d be tempted to pour over pancakes), so they swiftly swallow without putting up a fight or spitting up in disgust.
At-Home Kennel Cough Treatment #3: Honey
The antibacterial property of this product of busy bees’ labors is truly astonishing. I give sick dogs one tablespoon twice daily until their coughs are cured; it also works to alleviate the nasal discharge that accompanies kennel cough.
For maximum benefit, be sure to select a homegrown honey that’s not produced in China, ideally a raw honey such as my favorite brand, Really Raw Honey, which comes topped with a “cap” of pollen, propolis, and honeycomb. Dogs love this chewy mixture — mine go nuts for it.
There are some dos and don’ts to giving your dog honey, though. See them all here >>
At-Home Kennel Cough Treatment #4: Coconut oil
Dogster has extolled the virtues of this superfood before, and its amazing antiviral property is especially helpful when combating kennel cough, which is caused by the Bordetella virus. Give two teaspoons daily until the cough is cured.
Pour it over Spot’s food bowl or just let her lick it right off the spoon — being congested will suppress her appetite, but a whiff of this oil’s rich, fragrant aroma will get her mouth watering again.
At-Home Kennel Cough Treatment #5: Cinnamon
Another Dogster-approved dietary supplement, this essential spice-cabinet staple is safe to sprinkle liberally over your dog’s food bowl any time of year, but especially when she’s got the canine common cold. Like coconut oil, cinnamon is also antiviral, so go ahead and shake half a teaspoon of it over Spot’s food. Look for Ceylon Cinnamon, which is especially fragrant.
Tell us: Have you helped your hound through a bout of kennel cough? What at-home kennel cough treatment worked for you? Please share in the comments!
Thumbnail: Photography by WilleeCole Photography / Shutterstock.
Read more about dog health on Dogster.com:
- Is Your Dog Coughing A Lot? What to Do Next
- Dog Coughs After Drinking — What’s Going On
- What Causes Chronic Coughing in Small Dogs?
The post Kennel Cough Treatment — 5 At-Home Remedies for Kennel Cough appeared first on Dogster.
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