Did you know that dogs can get asthma?  Yes, it is true. Just like humans, dogs can get asthma.  Asthma is a serious and potentially fatal disease.  If you know what to look for, you can help your dog treat and manage asthma.  Educating yourself could save your fur baby’s life. Our team of pet sitters here in Fort Collins, Colorado did some research to help educate our clients. Read on to learn about asthma in dogs including symptoms, diagnosis and treating dog asthma.

Symptoms
Some symptoms of asthma are: shortness of breath, wheezing, rapid and/or shallow breathing, chronic coughing, and loss of appetite, lethargy, blue-ish gums, open mouth breathing and exercise intolerance.  If you notice your dog having any combination of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian and schedule an appointment for a complete physical exam.

Diagnosis
There are many factors involved in the diagnosis of asthma.  Your vet will want to assess your dog’s symptoms as well as discuss complete medical history.  The pooch will undergo a complete medical examination which will include a chest x-ray, and blood work.  This thorough examination will also help rule out other ailments such as cardiac disease, respiratory infections and heart worm. Some diseases mirror the same symptoms so it’s important to leave no stone unturned.  If the veterinarians’ exam comes up inconclusive, he or she may want you to keep a journal so you can log when your dog has these symptoms, the severity of the symptoms and under what conditions they are present.

Treatment
Upon diagnosis, your vet will work closely with you to implement a proper treatment plan. It will be important to first determine the cause of your dog’s asthma before a plan is set into place.  Many causes of asthma are identical to the triggers experienced by humans.  Some or all of the following may cause your dog’s breathing passageways to spasm: smoke, exercise, dry air, allergens, and dust. When this occurs an attack is set into place. The passageways fill up with mucus due to narrowing and difficulty in breathing occurs.

Treating dog asthma may vary due to the causes, severity and symptoms of the attacks. Some treatment plans include the use of antihistamines, oxygen therapy, steroids, and bronchodilators. It may take some trial and error to find the most beneficial plan for your dog but once you have found a plan that works, future management of the disease is quite simple.

Call Wet Noses Pet Sitting if you have any comments or concerns or if would to discuss the benefits of our services. We are your neighborhood pet sitters!