My dog has a chronic cough when excited. Can I give him human medicine?

We do not normally recommend a cough suppressant over the counter for coughing in dogs without first examining the pet as there are some cases where a cough suppressant would be contraindicated. If your dog is coughing, I would definitely recommend an examination by a veterinarian as there can be many different causes for the cough, including infectious disease, anatomical abnormalities like collapsing trachea, heart failure, heartworm infection, and more. We need to try to determine the underlying cause of the cough before we can properly treat the cough.

I would be really careful with human cough syrups as some ingredients can be toxic to dogs. It certainly sounds like it could be a kennel cough infection. Before you can get to the vet I would recommend making a home cough syrup of warm honey and lemon to soothe the throat. It is less risky than human cough bottle.

Unfortunately medication won't improve this sort of cough because it is due to a functional problem not irriation. She is coughing because her trachea is collapsing. I would not recommend over the counter human medicine as sone cough bottles have ingredients toxic to dogs, and it wouldn't help anyway.

Hi there! Asher is very cute :) Many human cough syrups have ingredients that are dangerous for dogs, so we don't recommend giving them unless your veterinarian has recommended a specific product and given you a dosage to use. There are many things that can cause coughing in dogs, and treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is. Because of this, if Asher is coughing enough that you feel he needs medication, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam. He/she can listen to his heart and lungs, and may recommend chest x-rays or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem. If he has a condition that cough syrup would be useful for, your vet will recommend a specific product to use, or may prescribe a cough syrup specifically for dogs if necessary.

Poor Teddy! The most common cause of a chronic cough in a papillion is due to a collapsing trachea. Sometimes products like Robitussin can help, but there are other causes of coughing - specifically heart disease or bronchitis that should be ruled out by having a chest xray performed. Legally I cannot give dosing information for Robitussin to you unless I have performed a physical exam on Teddy. There are better medication options if his vet does confirm a collapsing trachea is the cause of his cough.

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While Dextromethorphan (the active ingredient) in Tussin Adult Cough Medicine can be given to dogs, Unfortunately for legal reasons, I cannot give dosage information for over the counter human made drugs through the internet. You may inquire about the dosages of this medication through your primary care veterinarian. So sorry and I hope Have feels better soon!

There is no harm in giving her honey, though it may not help at all. When dogs are in heart failure, or have a history or congestive heart failure or heart disease, usually a cough is due to one of 2 causes-- 1) fluid in the lungs OR 2) the enlargement of the heart pushes on the on the large airways, causing a "tickle" type cough response. Take her in to see your vet. It would be best to have some chest X-rays taken to see if she is in congestive heart failure, and to monitor the size of the heart. If she is NOT in congestive heart failure, your vet may prescribe a cough suppressant medication to help ease the cough. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!