It's no fun when your dog suffers from a cold--not for the dog and not for the humans who live with the dog. Symptoms to watch for include a cough, congestion, runny nose or sneezing. If the discharge from the dog's nose is not clear, or if he has a high fever and doesn't improve within a few days, he should be seen by a vet. Here are some methods to help your dog be more comfortable and to speed up the healing process.
Diet
Much like humans, a dog needs to have plenty of fluids while suffering from upper respiratory problems. This will help thin out the mucus and make it easier to cough and breathe. Give your sick dog lukewarm chicken soup, which is a tasty way to take in liquids.
Make sure your dog is eating. When dogs can't smell their food, they often refuse to eat. Offer the dog its favorite foods and he will be more likely to eat. Tess Thompson of Pet Alive recommends feeding a dog cold boiled chicken and brown rice.
External Aids
Make sure your sick dog avoids cold weather as much as possible. Cold air can cause the airways in the bronchial tubes to constrict, which makes it harder to breathe.
Put a vaporizer with a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the water near the dog's sleeping area. Or close the bathroom door and turn on a hot shower until the room is hot and steamy. Then put the dog in the bathroom to breathe the air for about 10 minutes. This will help loosen up congestion.
Vitamins and Natural Remedies
Vitamin C can help a dog fight a cold. Give the dog a quarter of a 1,000 mg tablet once a day at the first sign of a cold and you should see an improvement within four days.
Other natural remedies for colds include elderberry extract, Calcium sulphate (D6), Ferrum phos. (iron phosphate), Hepar. sulph (12C), Verbascum thapsus (mullein leaves), and Sambucus nigra (elder flowers).
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