What Are the Symptoms of a Canine Cold? English Bulldog dog canine pet on brown leather couch under blanket looking sad bored lonely sick tired exhausted
The symptoms should be familiar; they are very similar to human colds.
In some breeds, even the common cold can be serious. Brachycephalic, or flat faced breeds, are more prone to breathing problems. In these dogs, symptoms of the common cold are more extreme and include:
Because of the different structure of the nose and nasal passages, these breeds become much more congested, and trapped mucus will more likely become a secondary infection like pneumonia.
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Rarely life threatening, but always irritating, the common cold is just a fact of life. But what about dogs? Do they get colds?
Dogs can get infections that make them sneeze and sniffle, just like we do. However, your dog’s cold symptoms could also be the result of a more serious disease.
When people talk about catching a cold, they are actually referring to a wide range of viruses. All of these viruses are grouped together as cold viruses because they cause similar symptoms, such as sneezing, sore throat, runny eyes and nose, and general malaise. In people, the most common viral cold agents are the rhinovirus, which is estimated by WebMD to cause more than 50 percent of colds in humans, and also the corona, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and parainfluenza viruses.
The causes of colds in dogs are similar. There is not one specific virus that gets the label “cold virus.” Instead, several different viruses can cause cold symptoms in dogs. Some of these are more serious than others, which is why it is important to treat your dog’s cold symptoms with a little more gravity than you might treat a cold in yourself.
Does your dog have a cold? Dog cold symptoms to watch out for
Dog cold symptoms are very similar to a human cold. The most common signs are sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, runny or congested nose and lethargy. However, these can be symptoms of illnesses other than colds, so it’s important to ask your vet for advice.