Colds in dogs: symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Dogs, like people, can catch a cold. Colds in pets are especially common in the autumn-winter period. How to treat your four-legged friend and how to understand that he has a cold? This is what we will talk about today, as well as discuss the main measures for preventing colds in dogs.

Is it a cold or something else?

First, you need to determine whether your pet really has a cold and what is meant by the word “cold”. A cold is a collective name for a large number of acute respiratory diseases. Most often, these are viral infectious diseases - SARS (acute respiratory viral infection) and influenza. They are accompanied by vivid symptoms - cough, runny nose and fever. But these signs do not always indicate a cold. Similar symptoms can occur with a wide variety of diseases, ranging from banal allergies to bacterial infections.

Winter is a great time for a variety of activities: Winter fun for the dog: 8 ideas for joint walks in winter.

That is why it is strongly recommended to contact a veterinarian as soon as your dog begins to show the first symptoms of illness. The veterinarian will help you quickly and correctly determine what your pet is sick with and prescribe the right treatment.

Symptoms of a cold in dogs

The main signs that indicate that your pet has a cold:

• Runny nose and sneeze, discharge of clear mucus from the nose without crusting.
• Eye discharge, conjunctivitis.
• Increase body temperature (the first sign is dry hot nose).
• Weakness and apathy, The dog sleeps a lot., is not active and refuses to play and take long walks.
• Deterioration of appetite.

Symptoms that appear with complications of a cold:

• Cough — a symptom indicating the spread of a virus or bacteria to the lungs and bronchi.
• Wheezing and difficulty breathing — also indicate damage to the lungs and bronchi.
• Vomit — can appear both due to coughing and due to general intoxication of the body.
• Diarrhea — a symptom of general intoxication of the body, or a consequence of taking medications and violating the feeding regimen.

Causes of colds in dogs

The main reason for contracting colds is a decrease in the animal's immunity. This can be triggered by the following factors.

Hypothermia

One of the most common causes of colds. In the fall, winter and spring, dogs often get overheated during long walks in cold or damp weather. This reduces the animals' immunity, making them more vulnerable to a variety of infections, including acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) and influenza. The main signs of hypothermia: shivering, decreased body temperature, squeezing the paws during a walk. Frequent urination is also a symptom of hypothermia, although it does not always occur.

Contact with infected animals

The true cause of infection with a variety of diseases. Most often, dogs that are constantly among a large number of other animals, for example, in shelters, get sick. In such conditions, mandatory vaccination is necessary, since even a strong dog's own immunity may not cope.

Poor feeding

The most important reason, which gradually and very strongly reduces the immunity of the pet. The consequences of poor-quality feeding are difficult to eliminate at once. Most often it leads to various health problems. Frequent signs of a lack of nutrients and useful substances in the feed: poor condition of the coat and skin, eating disorders, problems with the stool, decreased activity.

You will find everything about selecting quality food in the material: How to choose high-quality dry food for a dog?

Stress

Any stressful situations have an extremely negative impact on a dog's immunity. These can be poor housing conditions, a change in food, moving, fear of punishment, the arrival of a new family member, and much more.

Chronic diseases, old age

Animals with health problems and older individuals have weakened immune systems, which is why they are more susceptible to colds.

Helminths, fleas and other parasites

When a dog is infected with parasites, its immunity gradually decreases. The animal's body becomes more vulnerable to any diseases, including colds. The most common signs of a pet being infected with parasites: deterioration of the condition of its coat and skin, eating disorders, weight loss and exhaustion despite normal or increased food consumption, and problems with stool.

Can a dog infect a person with a cold and vice versa?

This question is often asked by pet owners. Don’t worry — you and your dog won’t be able to infect each other with SARS or flu. The thing is that these diseases are caused by species-specific viruses. That is, in humans, the pathogens of SARS and flu are the same, but in dogs, they are completely different.

How to treat a cold in a dog?

Any cold should be treated by a veterinarian. If you diagnose your pet yourself and self-medicate, it can lead to serious complications. The first thing you should do if your four-legged friend is unwell is to contact your veterinarian.

Depending on the symptoms, their severity, and the type of pathogen, the veterinarian may prescribe a combination of medications:

• Antiviral drugs or antibiotics.
• Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs.
• Expectorants, drops for the treatment of rhinitis or conjunctivitis.
• Immunostimulating and immunomodulating agents.

To make the treatment faster and more effective, provide your dog with the appropriate conditions:

• Make sure your pet has a warm bed in a place protected from drafts.
• The room should be clean and dry, and a regular ventilation schedule should be organized.
• Provide your pet with balanced, high-quality food. It is absolutely not recommended to change food abruptly when your dog is sick. If you have been feeding your pet low-quality, cheap food, then suddenly starting to give him super-premium food just for the duration of a cold is a dangerous decision. This will cause stress from changing the food and slow down recovery.
• Offer your pet clean, warm drinking water more often.
• Keep your dog calm. If he sleeps a lot and refuses to play, don't force him to be active.
• Don't give up on walks. During illness, you can reduce the time of walks, but you shouldn't give them up completely. Even if your pet can go to the toilet in a tray, still take him out to "breathe fresh air." This will have a beneficial effect on your pet's mood and the condition of his respiratory organs.
• Strictly follow all recommendations of your veterinarian.

Prevention of colds in dogs

To protect your pet from colds, it is enough to follow simple preventive measures:

• Keep your dog warm and dry, and away from drafts. If your pet lives outside, provide a comfortable, warm kennel.
• Dress your pet for the weather and follow the rules for walking in winter. Don't walk your dog for too long in the cold. If your dog gets wet on a walk, be sure to dry his coat after you get home.
• Vaccinate your pet regularly. Give all mandatory vaccinations, and if necessary, get specific vaccinations.
• Provide your pet with high-quality, balanced food. The better your pet eats, the stronger its health and immunity will be.
• Keep your pet physically active. Regular active walks will definitely improve your dog's health.
• Treat your pet for parasites and helminths in a timely manner.

Contact us in a timely manner. veterinarian and don't ignore your pet's poor health. Make it a habit to visit your veterinarian at least once a year to detect possible health problems in your pet in time. This is especially important for animals with chronic diseases and older dogs.

The world of pets in 2025 — more warmth, more love.