Introduction
The goals of treating uncomplicated cases of upper respiratory tract (URT) infection in dogs are cough suppression and prevention of secondary infection. Supportive care and possibly antibiotics are the main treatment options in most cases. Upper respiratory tract infections that are caused by nasal or lung parasites are treated with anti-parasitic medications.
Treating Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Dogs
Supportive Care
In most classic (uncomplicated) cases of canine URT infection, outpatient supportive care is the most effective way to treat clinical disease. Supportive therapies include: good nutrition via a high-quality diet and free access to fresh water; exercise restriction and enforced rest for at least 2 to 3 weeks in uncomplicated cases (and 2 to 4 months in more serious cases); and, keeping the dog in a clean, comfortable and non-stressful environment and away from other animals to prevent contagion. Because the pathogens that cause URT infection in dogs are so highly contagious, most veterinarians strongly prefer that the owner treat its dog at home whenever possible.
Medical Therapies
In complicated cases or upper respiratory tract infection, medical treatment may be necessary in addition to good nursing care. If a dog has developed bronchopneumonia, the therapeutic goals expand to identifying and eradicating the causative bacterial or viral agents, reducing and ultimately eliminating the cough, improving air flow and ease of breathing and repairing the lining of the dog’s upper respiratory tract. Dogs with severe signs may require hospitalization so that they can receive intravenous fluids and other appropriate medical support.
Drug therapy can include antiinflammatories, antitussives (cough suppressants), bronchodilators and/or antibiotics. Mild cases can be treated initially with anti-inflammatory medications such as corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Using steroids and NSAIDs at the same time is strongly discouraged because of the heightened risk of serious gastric ulcerative disease. Uncomplicated cases of dry, nonproductive coughing may benefit from cough suppressants (antitussive medications), such as butorphanol, hydrocodone bitartrate or dextromethorphan. Cough suppressants should not be used in dogs with pneumonia. If affected dogs with URT signs are having difficulty breathing, bronchodilators may help relieve some of the symptoms, although they generally are not very effective.
In most cases that involve pneumonia or other evidence of complicated URT disease, veterinarians will start affected dogs on empirical antibiotic treatment while awaiting the results of culture and sensitivity on samples taken of URT secretions. The results of those tests will tell the veterinarian exactly which pathogens are causing the illness, and thus will enable the veterinarian to select precisely which antibiotic or antiviral treatment to use. Empirical antibiotic therapy means starting the dog on broad-spectrum antibiotics even before the doctor knows which bacteria or viruses are causing the disease – it is in essence a “let’s take our best guess” approach that often is successful and has few, if any, adverse side effects for the patient. With bronchopneumonia, antibiotics should be given for 1 to 4 weeks after there are no further signs of pneumonia radiographically (on x-rays). Your veterinarian is the only one who can advise you about the specific treatment protocols for your dog if it shows signs of upper respiratory tract disease.
If a respiratory infection is caused by lung flukes or canine nasal mites, which is uncommon in North America, a course of anti-parasitic medications normally will be prescribed. While there currently are no drugs registered for use in dogs for the treatment of canine nasal mites, many veterinarians use ivermectin or milbemycin oxime as an off-label treatment; both of these drugs tend to provide prompt resolution of clinical signs.
Owners of dogs with upper respiratory tract infections must remember that their dogs probably are infectious to other dogs, and perhaps to other animals as well, for several months after their own clinical signs are resolved.