Puppy Cough: Understanding Why Your Puppy is Coughing

Hearing a new puppy hacking or coughing can be alarming, but did you know puppies can cough for the same reasons humans do? A puppy coughing at night might be just clearing its throat or have encountered an allergen. Sometimes, a puppy coughs when excited. They might also be sick with puppy chest congestion.

Knowing the difference between a puppy’s occasional cough and a puppy’s honking cough is essential – we can help.

Our experts navigate the causes, symptoms and treatment options for puppy cough. We share insight on when to seek veterinary care, treatment options and how to prevent respiratory infections in puppies, tackling the major questions puppy owners like you might have. 

Why is My Puppy Coughing?

It’s a common question for many puppy owners. It’s also a common symptom that puppy owners can easily take too seriously or risk not taking seriously enough. Here are a few of the most common illnesses that your puppy’s coughing may be a symptom of.

Kennel Cough in Puppies

Various viruses and bacteria can cause kennel cough in puppies, the most common cause of puppy cough. Treatment and vaccines are available for kennel cough, though it often clears on its own. The most known cause is a bacterial strain known as Bordetella bronchiseptica. Other infectious agents may include: 

• Canine adenovirus-2 (CAV-2)  
• Canine parainfluenza virus 

Can a Puppy Get Kennel Cough After Vaccine?

Unfortunately, yes. Vaccines are available to potentially block the transmission of the virus. Still, there are so many variants that the vaccine doesn’t always guarantee protection against.

How Do Puppies Get Kennel Cough?

It’s highly contagious, and most dogs will contract the disease at least once. It's spread from direct contact through respiratory secretions (or fluids) or contaminated surfaces with other dogs and an array of contaminated surfaces with heavy dog traffic, such as puppy daycares, training classes, dog shows, dog parks and more. If an infected puppy coughs after drinking water, and that puppy is next to yours, then your pup most likely will catch it. Kennel cough symptoms may include puppy coughing, sneezing, low fever, eye discharge and runny nose. 

What Does Kennel Cough Sound Like in a Puppy?

A puppy has kennel cough if the puppy coughing sound is a distinct goose-like honk. The honk is a frequent, loud and dry cough in puppies. In some cases, kennel cough can activate puppy cough and gag reflexes. It can result in puppies coughing up mucus, which can look like white, foamy liquid. 

Can kennel cough kill a puppy? Yes. Most cases are mild, but more severe cases can be deadly. Due to their generally weaker immune systems, puppies may experience some of the most severe complications.

Also, if your puppy is old enough to be walked, consider ditching the classic dog collar and using a harness instead. Collars potentially irritate the trachea in puppies suffering from kennel cough. Dry air is another factor that can worsen coughing and hamper healing time. Keeping your puppy in a more humid environment can aid recovery. 

Canine Influenza

A puppy with a cough and runny nose symptoms might have canine influenza. The most common canine influenza virus is Influenza Type A (H3N8). Another common canine influenza virus is known as H3N2. They’re all also referred to as dog flu, and they’re all highly contagious and mainly spread via airborne droplets from barking, coughing, sneezing, shared food and water bowls or other contaminated surfaces. Some dogs might contract the virus, show no symptoms, and still spread the disease to other dogs of all ages. A puppy’s wet cough may signal they contracted the dog flu rather than kennel cough, though the cough with the dog flu might also be dry.

Heartworm Disease

Puppies can contract heartworm disease from a mosquito bite, and it generally takes seven months for the heartworm larva to become an adult heartworm. That adult heartworm can live up to seven years and can grow as big as a foot long. It lodges inside dogs’ hearts, lungs and blood vessels. Coughing can increase in intensity over time in dogs with heartworm disease progressing to more severe illnesses, such as heart failure. 

Other Cough-Inducing Puppy Diseases

Other common diseases that may cause puppy coughing spells include: 

• Heart disease 
• Bacterial infection 
• Bronchitis 
• Distemper 
• Fungal infection 
• Pneumonia 
• Dog allergies 
• Collapsing trachea 
• Other lung problems

Home Remedies for Puppy Cough

While there’s no such thing as puppy cough medicine, you can ease coughing for your puppy in several ways. Here’s a couple of them: 

• Wet puppy food: If your puppy is suffering from kennel cough, it might not want to eat as much as usual, or, worse yet, refuse to eat. Not eating can slow recovery and make your puppy’s cough worse. If you’re feeding your puppy dry food, try offering wet puppy food to better spark their appetite. Wet food tends to be comfort food for puppies, while maintaining great nutritional benefits. 
• Humidity: Humid air helps clear puppy coughing. A vaporizer, humidifier or hot shower could work wonders on your puppy.

Above all, don’t neglect to contact your veterinarian for the most effective treatment if your puppy’s cough continues for days or is worsening.

When to Seek Veterinary Care

A slight cough occasionally is most likely no cause for concern. On the other hand, a persistent cough is potentially life-threatening. If your puppy has the following symptoms, you should take them to the veterinarian: 

• Puppy coughing and vomiting
• Puppy coughing and diarrhea
• Lethargy
• Sudden reduced appetite
• Fever
• Worsening cough
• Heavy coughing over several days
• And other noticeable health concerns

Treatment Options for Puppy Cough

Most puppy coughing will clear up independently, even if it’s an illness. For example, typically, the best way in how to treat kennel cough in puppies is to let it clear up on its own. However, infected puppies may need antibiotics to treat some cases.

Like the human flu, dog flu is not curable. Treatment typically includes plenty of fluids and rest, and medications to treat secondary infections, if indicated, may be prescribed in stronger cases. 

Infectious parasites like heartworms cannot go away on their own. Your veterinarian will need to determine the best course of treatment. Medication is available to treat canine heartworms but it’s not without risks.

Preventative heartworm treatments are highly recommended because heartworms are more easily prevented than treated. Puppies who have been treated for heartworm infections in the past should still be placed on heartworm prevention treatment. 

Preventing Puppy Cough

The best way to prevent puppy cough starts at home, including the following steps: 

1. Keep your core puppy vaccinations up-to-date
2. Feed with puppy food until your puppy reaches maturity
3. Puppy food has the bolstered nutrition needed to meet puppies’ nutritional needs with developing immune systems
4. Regular exercise with your puppy
5. Use caution when socializing with other dogs (ensure the puppy is up-to-date on vaccinations, and do not take an unvaccinated puppy to a dog park)
6. Always promptly clean up after your puppy to prevent spreading anything

For more expert tips on your puppy’s health, explore our other puppy health articles.