There is nothing more alarming than to see your pet struggling to breathe and hearing them make loud coughing and gagging sounds that makes you think they have been secretly smoking 30 fags a day. Of course your immediate reaction is to rush them off to the vet.
Its hayfever. "Nah! I can hear you say,"Don't be daft, dogs don't get hayfever."
Like their owners, many pets are sensitive to airborn annoyances - not just dust, feathers and wool but also to pollen. They get runny eyes and noses, explosive sneezing attacks, breathing difficulties and itchy throats that make them gag and cough like a seasoned smoker, while trying to clear the sensation. Some of the flat nose breeds suffer terribly and a hayfever attack can make them sound like their air waves are being cut off. It looks and sounds far worse than it is.
Here are some tips to ease their discomfort.
If a dog is snorting and looks like it can't breathe, put your first finger in the dent of their nose and rub backwards and forwards for a few seconds. This helps to open up the nostrils.
Give them a child's dose of anti-histamine Piriton or similar tablet hidden in chicken or cheese as this helps with the hayfever symptoms. if you are nervous about doing this, telephone your vet and ask their advice.
For immediate relief, dampen a cloth and gently rub over the dog's nose. This wipes off any pollen or dust stuck in the air waves.
When dogs get hayfever, they get itchy and start scratching the sides of their bodies and biting their paws. They rub their faces on the carpet or on furniture. Best way to stop this is to dunk their feet in a bowl of cool water for a couple of minutes - warm water will irritate the skin even more - then dry them off with a towel. You can tell by the look on your dog's face that was the most blissful thing you could have done for them.
Rub a little vaseline around the nostrils to stop pollen and dust going straight in.
If, like me, you loathe anything chemical, then there is the tried and tested, sure fire homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica 30c (available from from of the homeopathic pharmacies, Helios, Ainsworth or Nelsons). If your dog is sneezing frequently, has runny eyes and a runny nose and looks like it has been chopping onions, then 2 pillules of Nux Vomica given during an attack can stop the symptoms instantly. I promise you it works on dogs and equally well on human beings.
Here's ten minutes of dogs doing silly things that will make you chuckle.
Happy sneezing and start enjoying the promised high temperatures and good weather to follow.
Dawn (".")
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