My pregnant dog has a cough. What's the best way to treat it safely?

Cough can be caused by an infection, heart problem or lung condition, it is important to first know the cause before treating it as treatment is different from condition to another. The most common disease causing cough is a viral infection called Kennel cough, this disease usually resolves without treatment within a couple weeks but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.

Coughing due to changes in weather is considered to be an allergy (allergic bronchitis). If this is the case, then there isn't anything over the counter that will work for this condition unfortunately. You will have to contact your vet to have her seen and treated with prescription medication, which is typically a steroid. Best of luck with your pet Karma and I hope that her cough resolves soon! Take care.

Hello. The safest thing you can give her is a bit of honey. 1/2 teaspoon every 3-4 hours can be very soothing. You may also want to get this checked out by your veterinarian, especially since she is pregnant. Catching something early is always the best way to go to prevent a much more serious situation in the future. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Holy truly has a bronchial infection, then she needs antibiotics to help clear it. Guaifenesin is typically only used in veterinary medicine for induction of anesthesia for horses, and I can find no information regarding the safety of its use in pregnant dogs. I have occasionally used it in dogs with pneumonia to aid with expelling the fluid in the lungs, however I would advise that Holy should see her vet today in order to obtain and exact diagnosis as to what is causing her breathing difficulties, and obtain a treatment that is appropriate for her disease and safe for her puppies.

Poor Ella. She could be suffering from multiple things like a severe urinate tract infection or kidney infection. It also sounds like she has a severe upper respiratory infection or pneumonia. Since she is pregnant, I strongly recommend to have your vet look at her. Your vet will be able to run bloodwork, a urinalysis, and possible X-rays to determine the root of her problems. Your vet will also be able to prescribe her the proper medicine that will be safe for her whole pregnant. If left untreated I worry that it could affect the puppies or she could continue to become worse. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon.

Depending on whether or not it appears to be an active infection it may be worth proceeding with treatment using doxycycline. There is a possibility of side effects in the puppies but the mother’s health may be more important. I’d recommend discussing with your vet.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kennel cough is usually self limiting with in 2 weeks and stops being contagious once the cough resolves. Make sure all bedding and clothing used to handle the mother is cleaned. It might be ideal to dedicate one room in your house for her to deliver that she currently doesn't have access to. That way it is free of kennel cough. Hopefully she will have stopped coughing by her due date. Good luck!