As the cold and flu season approaches, and the sniffles begin, you may start to wonder how this will affect your pooch. But can dogs get colds? Can dogs catch the human cold virus? We’ve put together this handy guide to answer those questions and much more, so you’re prepared for the next bout of snuffles.

Can Dogs Catch a Cold?

Do dogs get colds? Now, the term ‘cold’ covers a whole host of viruses that cause similar symptoms and dogs can can suffer from several viruses that cause cold-like symptoms like sneezing and congestion. Some are more serious than others, like kennel cough, influenza virus (dog flu), canine parainfluenza virus, bronchitis, or canine distemper.

What are Dog Cold Symptoms?

Symptoms that your dog is suffering from a cold include:

• A runny nose
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Lack of appetite
• Napping more and having less energy
• Laboured breathing caused by congestion
• A hoarse bark

Symptoms of a dog cold usually last for around 5-10 days.

Can Dogs Get Colds from Humans?

No, dogs can’t catch the same colds and flu that humans do. This is because the virus that causes a human cold is specific to humans. However, if you get a sniffle, it may not be a full-on cold, but your dog can suffer cold-like symptoms.

It’s not common for the viruses that cause colds in humans to spread to dogs and vice versa. You’re unlikely to suffer from the viruses that cause your dog’s cold. But other animals will, so to stop it spreading, keep your contagious dog separate from other pets until they've fully recovered.

Does My Dog Need to See a Vet?

Some pet colds can be cared for at home and will go away on their own, but others may need veterinary treatment. Dog cold symptoms can be a sign of a more serious condition, so it’s best to speak to your vet. Bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections can cause cold-like symptoms and can lead to lung tissue damage and pneumonia. Your dog will need veterinary treatment if they have trouble breathing, stop eating or drinking, become overly lethargic, or appear to be in pain.

Your vet will carry out a physical examination of your dog and listen to their heart and lungs. They may need to run some diagnostic tests to rule out any more serious conditions. This may include x-rays, poop analysis, and bloodwork. If your dog does have an infection, they’ll need rest, a course of antibiotics, cough suppressants, and fluids to get them over the worst.

How to Treat a Dog with a Cold

Once the vet has given your dog the all-clear from other conditions, here’s what you can do to help your dog when it’s suffering from a simple cold virus:

• Give them plenty of fresh water.
• Keep their eyes and nose clear by wiping off any discharge.
• Let your dog rest as much as possible.
• Give them warm, humid air to help with congestion. This can be done using a humidifier or letting them in the bathroom while you have a nice hot shower.
• Separate sick pets from healthy ones to prevent them catching a cold too.
• Wash their toys, bedding and bowls regularly to stop germs from spreading.

Never give your pet over-the-counter medications without talking to your vet first as they may do more harm than good.

Getting some fresh air can be beneficial when feeling under the weather. Continue to walk your dog if they seem up to it, but make sure it’s just a short quiet walk. Strenuous exercise will put extra strain on their respiratory tract, which will already be inflamed. For some dogs, spending some time in the garden will be enough.

What is Kennel Cough?

Kennel cough, also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis, is a highly infectious respiratory disease. It’s most commonly passed around in kennels, but it can be caught in other places too. Anywhere that has a large number of dogs in one place are most at risk.

Kennel cough is treatable, and most dogs recover well, but puppies and dogs with low immune systems are at risk of more serious complications. The most distinctive symptom of kennel cough is a dry, harsh cough that sounds similar to a goose honking. Sneezing, a runny nose, lethargy, loss of appetite, a low fever are other symptoms.

To prevent your dog from getting kennel cough, avoid any dog that you know to be contagious and make sure they’re up to date with their kennel cough booster vaccination, especially if visiting somewhere like a kennel.

Most kennels ask that your dog is vaccinated against kennel cough before they’re allowed to stay. And ideally the vaccination should be given a couple of weeks before they’re due to stay, so you’ll need to do a bit of advanced planning if this is the case.

How Does a Dog Catch a Cold?

Colds typically spread through direct contact with an infected dog, sharing toys or bowls, or by visiting a place where an infected dog has been. Some germs can live in the environment for months! Dogs catch colds in places like kennels, doggy daycares, the groomers, dog parks, training, or behaviour classes, or even visiting a friend’s house. So, if you know an infected dog has been somewhere, avoid taking your dog there if possible.

How Can I Prevent My Dog from Getting a Cold?

Unfortunately, there’s no prevention from the common cold because there are so many viruses that could be the cause. However, there are vaccines for kennel cough, distemper, and canine influenza viruses. So, to help protect your dog from these conditions, make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date.

Keep your dog away from other sick animals and stay in the know about any current outbreaks. That way you can avoid taking your dog to areas where there may be lots of other dogs that may be contagious. To prevent the spread of germs, regularly wash all your dog’s toys, bowls, and bedding.

Dogs can suffer from cold and flu viruses, but they’re unlikely to suffer from the same ones as we do. Cold symptoms in dogs are similar to humans, with sneezing, coughing, lethargy, and a runny nose being very common.

In some cases, your dog will recover from a cold without needing any veterinary treatment. Plenty of rest, fluids and a warm cosy bed will do the job. But there are some respiratory infections that will need veterinary care, so it’s best to speak to your vet if you’re unsure.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis – www.vetlexicon.com/canis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.