Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 8/29/2011

Question
My small mix breed dog spent the night at the pet ER this past Wednesday night. Thanks to a bufo toad incidence. I was able to pick her up Thursday morning. Then on Sunday afternoon she began coughing constantly. Sounds like kennel cough (we've had it before) I have an appt with her vet but was wondering about home remedies that I can do for her in the meantime to ease the terrible sounding cough. I read chicken soup helps. Is this true? If so how much should I give & should I warm it up first? I have giving her some honey but only got very minor relief. By the way she is 14lbs & less than a year old. Just want to help her as much as I can before & during her recovery. She has already been through so much. She is current on all her shots as well, even bordetella...

Answer
Bordetella is kennel cough!!!  So she probably inhaled some of the fluid they used to flush out the mouth.  There are not many home remedies for coughing dogs, but you can put the dog into the bathroom with a hot shower running.  That way, it will moisten the upper airway and loosen any mucus that may have accumulated.