Question: My German Shephard dog is going to turn 7 years old this New Year`s, and every year around his birthday he has had a seasonal cough. A year ago I took him to the vet, and I was told to give him Robitussin. This didn`t help very much, and my dog kept coughing throughout the winter season. I have spoken to numerous specialists, who recommended antibiotics, diarrhea pills which were said to have some effect, Cipro, and theophylline. But nothing is working, it seems.

Veterinarians who like to take more or a holistic approach to dog health care and medicine tend to be against suppressing a dog`s cough, unless it is totally necessary. Coughs like these are often solved with homeopathics and/or herbal remedies.

If you haven`t yet tried such an approach to treating your pet`s cough, then perhaps that should be your next step. Look into some of the all-natural products being sold today, for example Astragalus 16 and Pinellia 16. Others are available as well, so I receommend you research them in depth and decide which one seems most appropriate for your dog`s cough.

Dog Health Questions

How to control seizures that result from distemper

Question:  My 4 year old mixed Labrador caught distemper from another puppy in the neighbourhood. Thanks to homeopathy, the early acute period of distemper went by relatively smoothly. However, she began having seizures again on a daily basis a few weeks later. My spouse and I have been doing a lot of research and are now thinking about giving our dog Phenobarbital, also known as just “Pheno”. Is Pheno safe? How does it work?

In an animal with distemper, demyelination causes the lingin of the nervous tissue to be destroyed. Subsequently, the dog`s body attempts to fight this by using its own immune cells. The result is encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, which leads to seizures.

Phenobarbital is thought to be a good way to help fight against and limit your pet`s seizures. It might also be wise to supplement this with a Chinese herbal formula that will aid in healing the damage already done. On top of that, hemp oil, vitamin D and B, kelp, supplemental magnesium, and vitamin C can all have a positive effect on this condition.

Pheno should not be taken permanently and eventually you should wean your dog off of it. But vets dealing with holistic medicine will continue to advise you to give your dog the herbal supplementation longer term.

As is usually the case with health issues involving drugs or supplements, please be sure to consult with your veteranarian.