My dog has kennel cough and a hoarse bark. How to ease a sore throat?

Yes, he probably has a mild upper respiratory infection or cold. That can cause a sore throat and change in their bark. This usually is a viral infection that will run its course in a few days to a week. Please let him rest and try to limit the excitement and reduce any barking. That will help keep his throat from getting irritated and help him heal quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ranger.

NO! Do not give any Azithromycin. That will not help this problem. The only thing that helps a hoarse voice to rest it so if you can, try to keep him from barking. It is not life threatening. My guess is that he may have a touch of kennel cough and it will usually resolves within 10-14 days. If it does not, or if he starts showing other symptoms (vomiting, not eating, lethargy, nasal discharge) then I would get him to a vet for an exam. I hope this helps! Best wishes!

Dog can have a couple different barking sounds, and it could be that he changes his bark based on the occasion. Sometimes, excessive barking can cause irritation to the vocal cords and the barks after this can sound weird or hoarse. This should heal with time if you can prevent additional barking. Unless the issue is coming from a bacterial infection, it is unlikely that antibiotics will help. Anti-inflammatory medications may have a better effect, but the issue will continue if your dog continues to bark excessively. Here is an article on excessive barking and how to stop it: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-stop-excessive-barking-in-dogs https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-does-my-dog-bark-so-much

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Vega! If she is acting normal and eating you just may need to give the medications some time to work. You can add water to her food to increase water intake. Also if she eats canned food that has more water in it. Kennel cough can take 2 weeks to resolve. Just watch for loss of appetite, lethargy, yellow or green nasal discharge or a change in cough (more moist) that may indicate pneumonia. I hope this helps and I wish Vega a speedy recovery!

There's really nothing that can be given at home to lessen the duration of the condition. Keep him warm and rested, away from other dogs and be patient. If he hasn't been seen by a vet, it's a good idea to since he may need antibiotics to help him recover faster. If he's coughing so much he cannot sleep or rest, that's another reason to get him seen so he can be prescribed cough suppressants. An occasional spoonful of honey can coat his throat and help suppress the cough temporarily.

You can give honey if you wish to try and soothe your dog's throat if he has kennel cough - it can sometimes help a little, and won't hurt anything. Normally, kennel cough causes relatively mild symptoms and resolves on its own within a week or two, but in rare cases it can progress to pneumonia or other serious problems. If your dog is not eating, acting lethargic, or coughing so much that he has trouble resting or sleeping, then I would recommend having him examined by a vet - he may need antibiotics and prescription cough suppressants to help resolve the infection more quickly and make him more comfortable.

It could be kennel cough, scratch in the throat from chewing on hard objects or swelling in the throat from being stung in the throat by an insect. As long as your dog is acting as normal, eating food and keeping it down you should monitor him at home. Kennel cough symptoms usually resolve within 7-10 days without treatment. However, if your dog continues to cough or becomes lethargic and off food, you should get him checked by your local vets.