My dog has a cold is it really neccessary to have to get medication for him?

Question

my dog is 4 and we called the vet and asked whats wrong and they said he has a cold but we dont want to go to the vet unless its urgent so cant i juat keep him warm and feed him warm rice like a common human cold?? can i wait like a week to see if hw gets better??? has this happened to anyones dog before??

Answer 1

If you already called the vet, you did good.

Be ready to be bombarded by people that will say go to your vet immediately. I feel the same way about my dog, i do not want to take the dog to the vet accept for urgent things, and check-ups. It is not really nessary for your to take him to the vet immediatly. Just wait a few days, and if it worsens, then take him, if not he will be fine.

People dont go to the doctor just when they get a cold(unless it is unbarable), so neither should dogs. Just weight it out! Good Luck!

Answer 2

If your dog is eating well, isn't lethargic, and has good stool, then there is probably nothing to worry about. I would just keep him inside, and let him rest in a quiet place. Colds usually go away in 10-14 days.

Certain colds are caused by bacterial infection. For those, you can hasten the healing process by getting antibiotics from your vet.

Here is an excerpt about dog colds from the Dog Health Guide:

"Dogs get a variety of respiratory infections, including viruses that resemble the common cold that humans get. They don’t get the same virus as humans, though.

Dog cold symptom may include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and runny eyes. "

Answer 3

Dogs don't get common colds. Perhaps the symptoms you described to the vet made him think nothing was wrong at all, but if your dog is acting lethargic or making hacking noises you should bring him in soon (to a different vet perhaps). It could be that the dog has kennel cough, which needs to be treated. Or if the dog is lethargic he could have an infection or could have eaten something mildly toxic.