You are here:
Ask the Veterinarian/bronchitis
Advertisement
Question
my dog has bronchitis and already seen vet.heart ok,no heartworms been on cough pills for 3 weeks,antibiotics all done but still has a cough,shallow breath and this goes on off all day and thru the nite.can i give a otc cough suppressent.theres smokers in the house also.could this be irritating her.she's 15 years old
You can give something like Robitussin for coughs. Don't give anything with an antihistamine in it. Regular Robitussin DM is what the vet here recommends.
She needs to be removed from the smokers or they need to stop smoking around her. She HAS bronchitis due to them smoking around her as dogs in non-smoking households rarely ever get bronchitis.
They wouldn't smoke around a young child or an elderly person so why are they smoking around her?
This is not fair to her and it is only going to make her worse.
If the OTC cough syrup doesn't help ask your vet about a cough suppressant in pill form.
I hope that they will comply until she is at least well. She is the equivalent of a 97 yr old person- so please ask them to go outside and smoke for a while.
She deserves some rest and a break! I hope she gets well soon.
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.