Season 4, Show #4 – Coughing pets

Why is your pet coughing? Find out when Dr. Caroline Gilje joins host Joe Hipperson to talk about the reasons cats and dogs cough, and whether it’s contagious. Gilje says the most common causes are seasonal allergies and upper respiratory tract infections, which are highly contagious. Most bacteria can’t be vaccinated, but the infections are fairly treatable. Since they are so contagious, she says most vets will segregate your pet from other pet patients, so they can’t pass it on. More serious causes for coughs, which she calls productive coughs, include pneumonia and heart failure. Cats also cough because of hairballs, and sometimes from secondhand smoke. Caller questions include:

• Is there a way to tell between a regular cough and a very serious cough?
• If a caller saw worms in her puppy’s feces, what does that mean?
• A 9-year-old Akita coughs violently after drinking water; is he ok?
• When do vets segregate animals at their clinic?
• Why does a black lab suddenly have a growth the size of a tennis ball hanging below his throat?
• Trivia question: What dog has the best eyesight?