All You Need to Know About Dog Asthma

Just like humans, your dog can also suffer from asthma. This happens when the air passageway constricts and is filled with mucus, which makes it hard for your dog to breath. They start to wheeze and cough violently, with shortness of breath. So is dog asthma a disease?

What Causes Dog Asthma

Dogs that usually suffer from this are younger dogs and middle-aged dogs, although older dogs aren't immune and can be affected as well. Although asthma is a sickness, it is not a disease. Dog asthma is usually triggered by some sort of allergic reaction within his environment. It could be with second-hand smoke, dust, pollens or possibly other pollutants.

What are the Symptoms I can Look Out For?

Dog asthma, also known as canine allergic bronchitis, like other illnesses have symptoms that you can identify. As mentioned earlier, the obvious signs would be shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing violently. Other signs include a change in behavior. For example, if your dog used to be active and playful, he suddenly doesn't want to exercise anymore. Another sign is if you see your dog breathing with an open mouth. Lethargy, sudden loss of appetite and weight loss are signs you should look out for. If you notice that your dog's gums and tongue are turning people, then you should rush your dog to the vet as soon as possible!

What Can Be Done?

If canine allergic bronchitis (dyspnea) is not treated at the soonest possible time, there is a risk for the condition to grow a lot worse and to need immediate veterinary care in order for him to survive. An x-ray will be performed in order to rule out any other possible respiratory problems. Once a diagnosis has been made, your vet will provide you with a treatment that you can use for your dog. It could be antihistamines, antibiotics, steroids, bronchodilators, or a combination of all these drugs. If it happens that your dog's asthma is severe, your vet may recommend oxygen therapy.

As in most cases, dogs that suffer from asthma could occur because of poor health and a weakened immune system. So you should always strive to make sure that your dog is in good health. Have regular check-ups with your vet, proper hygiene, healthy eating and living are always best to prevent your dog from suffering from any kind of sickness or diseases. So give your dog the best possible care you can give, provide him a good quality of food, and of course, giving your dogs vitamins can help boost his health and immune system as well.