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Home Treatments for Pneumonia in Dogs
Your veterinarian can recommend the best way to care for your sick dog at home. They may suggest:
While your dog needs rest, they may also benefit from short bouts of exercise that can loosen mucus secretions and help your dog cough out debris. However, follow your dogs lead and dont force them to exercise if theyre not up for it.
As with canine influenza, youre not likely to contract pneumonia from your dog. However, bacterial and viral pneumonia can be transmitted easily between dogs, especially if they are very young, older, or have a compromised immune system. If you have multiple dogs in the home, you will need to separate the healthy ones from your sick pooch.
You should also thoroughly clean all bedding, bowls, and gear, such as leashes, collars, and harnesses, to help avoid spreading the disease. In addition, be sure to wash your hands after handling your sick dog and consider wearing a protective garment over your clothing to help avoid spreading the disease that way.
Can You Get the Flu From Your Dog?
Dog flu is caused by a virus that can be transmitted to other dogs, but there are currently no cases where it has spread to humans. It is caused by a different type of virus than the one that makes us feel all achy and feverish. Because there have been rare, isolated reports of sick dogs infecting cats, ferrets, and guinea pigs, sick dogs should be safely isolated from other pets in the home. However, you dont have to worry about contracting the flu from them.
Some diseases can be passed between dogs and humans. Learn about the risks of these zoonotic diseases.
Can A Dog Get Pneumonia From A Human
Caring for pets can be great for kids, teaching them responsibility, gentleness, and respect for other living beings.
Also like us, animals carry germs. But illnesses common among house pets — such as distemper, canine parvovirus, and heartworms — cant spread to people.
But some types of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that pets can carry can make people sick though a bite or scratch, or if someone has contact with an animals waste, saliva, or dander. Infants, kids younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems have a greater chance of getting sick from these.
Consider the type of pet and the health and age of your kids before you get a pet. For example, children whose immune systems are weak (from HIV, chemotherapy treatment for cancer, or steroid medicines) shouldn’t be around cats and dogs with ringworm infections. Kids with eczema should avoid aquariums. Reptiles and amphibians as pets are not a good idea for families with infants, young children, or an immunocompromised family member.
Backyard poultry, including chickens and ducks, can also carry harmful germs, including Salmonella. Young children and people with weak immune systems should not touch backyard chickens and other live poultry.
Reptiles (including lizards, snakes, and turtles) and amphibians (including frogs, toads, and salamanders) are not recommended as pets for kids younger than 5 because of salmonellosis. This infection causes symptoms such as belly pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Young children can get very sick with dehydration, meningitis, and sepsis (blood infection).