Is Nasal Spray Safe for Dogs?
Dr. Susan O’Bell, a member of the primary care team at MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, says her practice does not routinely recommend nasal sprays for dogs. “In the rare instances we do, I would say a saline nasal spray is safe and may be used to help break up secretions. It may be offered as a symptomatic treatment that can be tried at home.”
Nasal sprays are not used that often to treat dogs, in no small part due to the fact that most pets dislike having anything squirted up their noses, adds Dr. Jennifer Coates, veterinarian and author of “Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian.”
O’Bell agrees that difficulty in administering medicated sprays diminishes their value as a treatment. “So many dogs dislike getting even an intranasal vaccine administered, thus veterinarians look for other options first,” she says. In addition, there is a lack of FDA-approved nasal sprays for use with dogs.
Can you flush a dog’s nose with saline?
You may be surprised to find that you can use saline to flush out a dog’s nose.
This can be done safely and is highly useful in breaking up buildups within the nasal cavity, however the practice is not done often as dogs do not react well to having treatments squirted up their noses.
It is quite uncomfortable for them, and they will struggle and squirm to get away.
However, we always recommend that you consult a veterinarian first if you believe that your dog has a health problem or blockage in their nasal passage.
As long as you have the go ahead, and are instructed on the best products to use on your dog, then you can use saline to flush out the nose.
How Can You Tell If Your Dog’s Nose Is Congested?
Some ailments are easy to recognize in dogs, but others are less obvious.
Intestinal issues, for example, are pretty apparent, but it can be hard to tell if your dog has a headache.
Nasal congestion lies somewhere in between the extremes, as there are a few signs that can indicate your dog is suffering from a stuffy snout, but you won’t see your pup walking around trying to blow his nose.
Some of the symptoms that suggest your dog is suffering from a stuffy nose include:
How to Relieve a Dog’s Stuffy Nose
Nasal congestion can make it difficult to breathe and ruin the way your food tastes. If untreated, it may even lead to sinus infections and other problems.
Dogs can suffer from nasal congestion too. And, just like in humans, it probably makes them feel miserable.
In fact, because your dog learns more about the world through his nose than you do, it is likely that stuffy noses are even more irritating for dogs than they are for people.
Below, we’ll talk about what you need to do when your dog has nasal congestion and discuss the use of nasal decongestants and other medications for dogs.