Can dogs get colds too? If yes, how do you treat them?

[coripc33]

My puppy (6 mos old Westie) has been sneezing (wet sneezes) since Monday. On Sunday we went to the doggie park and it was cold, she ran around a lot, I can only assume that she inhaled a lot of the cold wind, so she now has a - what I call - cold. I took her to the vet on Monday, they gave me some Benadryl hoping it was just some allergies, but it hasn't gone away - she keeps sneezing and there's definitely some spraying going on when she does (as I said, wet sneezes). I think she is also a little stuffed up, I can hear her breathing after she sneezes, and she sounds just like me when my nose is congested.

Should I just wait it out, or should I take her to the vet again? She is fine in every other way, active as usual, poops OK, eats OK (well, as well as she used to - finicky little thing ). The vet mentioned that she might be put on antibiotics if it's not allergies, but if it's just a cold I am against giving her antibiotics for this (I never gave my daughter antibiotics for colds, since antibiotics are supposed to work on infections, and a cold is not an infection). Does this apply to dogs? I have no idea what to do, and I would appreciate any input you might have.

Thanks,
Corina

 

[smkie]

could she have sniffed something up her nose? i had a labrador that returned the bird at a field trial and then began to sneeze over and over..his sides just heaved with the effort..the judges got mad at me and said get your dog off the line..yeah surely when he is done..then finally two big plugs of down shot out of his nose holes..i imagine if they had stayed up there they could have caused quiet an infection or at least irritation.

 

[shepluvr]

Has she been vaccinated against Bordetella? (Kennel cough) Sometimes Kennel cough can manifest itself as an upper respiratory infection. (even if vaccinated they can sometimes pick up a form of this, the vaccine is not 100% effective) They can get this from contact with other dogs or in places that have a lot of dogs(groomer,dog show, dog park etc.) They will sneeze a lot, sometimes with impressive(excuse the description) thick snot! In some cases they can have a fever. It can be treated with antibiotics. If she shows no improvement or gets worse definetely call your vet. Good luck and I hope she feels better!

 

[bubbatd]

My second Golden had a real cold years ago... only I couldn't blow his nose ! I know I took him to the vet, but can't remember if he had a shot or anything. I put a sweater vest on him and gave him alot of chicken soup though. I'd never had a dog that actually had a snotty nose.! That was back in the '50s..... today, I wonder what it would be called !! He got through it fine.

 

[coripc33]

Thanks everyone - it seems that she DOES have a cold LOL. I took her to the vet last night, they said that her temperature was a tid bit high (1 degree over what she was on Monday), so they said it was probably an infection and put her on antibiotics. She wears a sweater now (she has been since Monday) and I want to say she was not sneezing as badly this morning, but it was still there. She does not have the Bordatella shot, and I should be thinking about it, since she goes to doggie day care twice a week (well, not now, but normally) and she can pick up anything from the other dogs. She does not cough though, just sneezing... I hope she'll be fine soon.

Thanks for all your answers - you guys are great!

 

[jxxlxxs]

is there any way it could be something he/shes allergic too that he was just exposed to?? one of my dogs is allergic to grass- we have to give him a benadryl every time were going to cut the grass or hell sneeze and itch like crazy allll day...hes goofy!