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May issue
May issue
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
The big sneeze
Can dogs catch colds? I have had a very heavy cold over the past week and now my dog has a runny nose and keeps sneezing. Karen Hughes
This is rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal membranes). Two ways of looking at it. First one- it is probably caused by a virus. This is unlikely to be the same virus. In fact the human cold ( and cat flu)can be lots of different viruses. Another more holistic way of looking at it is that it is a discharge, in this case of excess liquid from the system. This tends to happen more in autumn as the weather becomes colder and the body contracts. Think of it as what happens when you squeeze a sponge. To avoid or reduce the likelihood we should avoid consuming excess liquids of all kinds. As for a dog... perhaps you have been giving milk to drink or the dog has developed a habit of drinking a lot. If it persists for a long time, consider the possibilty of a food allergy/intolerance. John Burns BVMS MRCVS
This is rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal membranes). Two ways of looking at it. First one- it is probably caused by a virus. This is unlikely to be the same virus. In fact the human cold ( and cat flu)can be lots of different viruses.
ReplyDeleteAnother more holistic way of looking at it is that it is a discharge, in this case of excess liquid from the system. This tends to happen more in autumn as the weather becomes colder and the body contracts. Think of it as what happens when you squeeze a sponge. To avoid or reduce the likelihood we should avoid consuming excess liquids of all kinds. As for a dog... perhaps you have been giving milk to drink or the dog has developed a habit of drinking a lot. If it persists for a long time, consider the possibilty of a food allergy/intolerance.
John Burns BVMS MRCVS