Coughing is a powerful reflexive act that is triggered by irritation along some part of the respiratory tract. Technically, a cough is defined as the sudden, noisy and forceful expulsion of air from the lungs and airways. Coughs usually are preceded by an exaggerated inspiratory (breathing-in) effort.Coughs can be caused by any number of things, including respiratory tract infections (bacterial, viral or fungal), inflammation of the lining of the respiratory tract (bronchitis, tracheitis), pneumonia, cancer
Everyone knows what a cough is. However, coughs can come in a number of different forms based upon the underlying cause of the condition. Actually, a cough is itself a clinical sign rather than a disease or disease process.Coughs can be characterized in several ways, including as follows:Dogs that have a cough can also vomit, regurgitate, retch, sneeze or collapse, although those reflexes are triggered by different things. Reverse sneezing is commonly mistaken by owners
When presented with a coughing dog, a veterinarian will perform a thorough physical examination. She will also take a complete history from the owner about the course of the dog’s condition, including the duration and severity of the cough, whether it occurs during the day or at night and whether it worsens with exercise.A dog with a cough may be tentatively diagnosed based on the character of the cough itself. For example, a deep, dry,
Occasional coughs are normally not a serious condition in domestic dogs. However, if a cough persists, if the dog has nasal or ocular (eye) discharge or bloody sputum or if it has labored breathing, it should be assessed by a veterinarian promptly. The goals of treating a cough are to correct or cure the underlying disorder if at all possible, reduce the frequency and severity of coughing episodes and relieve the dog’s discomfort.It is important