Cold And Flu Season for Dogs: What To Know About Winter Respiratory Infections

Chilly weather brings runny noses and hacking coughs - for both people and pets. As you battle cold and flu season this winter, remember to look out for signs of upper respiratory infections in your four-legged family members.

While healthy dogs, like humans, can usually fight off a mild cold at home, some cases can take a turn for the worst. Outbreaks of new, unidentified viruses are becoming more frequent each year, and can be life-threatening regardless of your dog’s age and medical history.

Learn what to do if your dog falls ill this season, how dog flus and other infections can spread, and why these infections can come with serious health risks.
 

Why Do Dogs Get Upper Respiratory Infections in the Winter?

Upper respiratory infections (URIs) in dogs are caused by bacteria and viruses, including canine influenza virus and bordetella bronchiseptica (kennel cough). Dogs can contract a URI at any time of year, though they’re more likely to get sick in the winter for a few reasons.

For one, cold temperatures can suppress the immune system, making your dog more likely to get sick if exposed to a virus. Low humidity in the winter can also make it easier for bacteria and viruses to disperse.

What’s more, dogs are more likely to spend time indoors with infected individuals in the winter. Many pet parents place their dogs in boarding kennels while they travel. Dogs can also contract URIs in grooming salons, in their vet’s waiting room, or when visiting other dog homes during the holidays.

Most of the pathogens that cause URIs in dogs are not zoonotic. Your dog is highly unlikely to catch a cold or flu from you or from other humans. Nor are you likely to catch your dog’s URI.
 

Signs of Upper Respiratory Infections in Dogs

URIs in dogs usually present similarly to colds and flus in humans. Keep in mind that symptoms can be nonspecific. For example, a dry cough is most commonly caused by kennel cough, but can also be a symptom of a more serious condition like distemper, heart disease or tracheal collapse.

Symptoms of Upper Respiratory Infection in Dogs:

• Dry, hacking cough
• Sneezing
• Wet, productive cough
• Eye discharge
• Runny nose
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Fever of over 102.5° F.

Try to capture your dog’s symptoms with photos or videos. Make a note of when symptoms began, the color and consistency of mucus or other discharge, if any.
 

Will My Dog Get Over A Cold on their Own?

Most healthy dogs recover from an uncomplicated case of kennel cough without treatment. Chances are, if your dog has mild symptoms they’ll improve within a few weeks.

However, taking chances with your dog’s health can mean missing a more serious health condition that can worsen or even become life-threatening without treatment.
 

How URIs in Dogs Are Diagnosed

Is it kennel cough, or something more? Your veterinarian can determine the cause and the severity of your dog’s URI by examining their eyes, nose, and throat for inflammation and discharge. They may listen to your dog’s breathing and determine if there may be discharge in the lungs, which may indicate that your dog has pneumonia.

Your veterinarian may use diagnostic testing like a nasal swab, radiographs, or a blood test, and will also take into account if your dog may have been exposed from recent boarding, daycare, travel, or competition, or whether or not they’ve been vaccinated.
 

Preventing The Spread of Winter Cold and Flu in Dogs

If your dog is healthy, you might wonder if winter URIs are worth worrying about. After all, URIs caused by uncomplicated kennel cough often clear up on their own. Keep in mind, though, that dogs can spread bacteria and viruses for a few days before they begin to show symptoms, or may never show symptoms at all.

For senior dogs, puppies, and those with chronic illnesses that affect the immune system, a mild respiratory infection can become life-threatening. Even young, healthy, vaccinated dogs can suffer from serious complications from URIs.

Do your part to prevent the spread of winter cold and flu in dogs - including your own and immunocompromised dogs in your community.

1.Skip the waiting room. When making your next vet appointment, ask if you can wait with your dog in your car until you are called into the exam room. If you just need advice, consider making a same-day televet appointment with VetLive to skip the vet’s office altogether.

2.Keep your dog up-to-date on recommended vaccines. Isolate your puppy until at least two weeks after their final round of core vaccinations. Your veterinarian may also recommend the kennel cough vaccine, especially if you take your dog to boarding facilities, play groups, or dog parks.
 

3.Avoid communal toys and water bowlsat dog parks, always bring your own.
 

4.Quarantine newly adopted petsfor 7-10 days, if possible, by keeping pets in separate rooms.
 

5.Isolate your dog if they show signs of illness until they recover or your veterinarian has determined that they are not contagious.
 

6.Check the news for outbreaks of contagious illnesses in dogs in your region.