Dog Has a Cold. What are the Symptoms and What to Do
Just as when a child becomes ill, it can be stressful for pet owners when their dog has a cold. However, if a dog or a cat gets sick, they cannot express how they feel. Therefore, it’s important that the owner understands their pet and know what to do when they catch a cold, or they see that their dog has visible dog cold symptoms.
Additional Signs to Look For When Your Dog Has a Cold
If your pet appears lethargic, has lost its appetite, or shows signs of dehydration, these are dog cold symptoms and you should take them to your vet. Although treating a common cold in a pet is relatively straightforward, the symptoms can advance quickly. Therefore, it is always best to get them checked out by your vet.
As with humans, when your dog has a cold, common signs are coughing, sneezing, and a runny nose. Also, your pet may lose its appetite and have a buildup of goop in its eyes. These are dog cold symptoms to look out for.
You might also notice their inner eyelids protruding and covering your pet’s eyes. Although this may look concerning, it is usually nothing to worry about. However, if it starts to swell or impacts your pet’s vision, you should contact your vet immediately.
In some instances, pets can develop a fever. Again, as with humans, the indicator is that they will get a higher temperature than usual and feel warmer to the touch. Fevers are just as dangerous for pets as they are for humans. Therefore, if you notice your pet’s temperature rising significantly, you should take them to your vet as soon as possible.
What can you do to help your pet?
When your cat or dog has a cold, the most immediate thing to do is to make them as comfortable as possible. As in humans, the common cold is highly transmissible between pets. Therefore, you should keep your infected animal away from others.
If they have a favorite spot for sleeping, you may have to move the bed to keep them away from other pets. Also, you might want to consider moving your bed closer to where you spend most of your time. Doing so will allow you to keep a closer eye on how they are doing. They would also get the comfort of being close to the person who loves and cares for them.
To clean up their goopy eyes and running nose, you can use a regular washcloth. Simply wipe around the affected area, ensuring you use a different cloth part for each location. This procedure should not take you very long, but you may need to do it regularly throughout the day. When cleaning their eyes, you might want to leave the cloth there a bit longer as it will help soothe your pet’s eyes. 
Keeping your pet strong and healthy is one of the most crucial things you can do to help them through their illness. Therefore, ensure that they are getting sufficient food and drink. If you feed your pet dry food, they may find it difficult to take this when they have a cold. Therefore, you might have to change their diet to something softer or food you have prepared yourself. If your pet refuses to eat, this could also be a sign that your dog has a cold and you should probably take them to the vet sooner than later.
A humid environment is often good to help with your pet’s coughing, sneezing, and congestion. Therefore, you should consider bringing your pet into the bathroom when you have a bath or a shower, as the heat and steam will be good for them. Alternatively, you could provide a humidifier and leave that near the spot where your pet rests.
Dog Cold Symptoms
Your pet getting a common cold is similar to a human picking up the illness. Pets will appreciate the love and care you give them and the little treats they receive to make them feel better. Remember, when your dog has a cold it is usually temporary, but it is essential to know what dog cold symptoms to look for and to get things checked out by a veterinarian. Hopefully, your pet will recover soon and be back to its usual fun-loving self in no time at all.
