Cool air in early Autumn of Hong Kong usually breezes with cold rain. The cold air is easy to stimulate the cat and dog’s trachea and lead to cough. If treatment is not provided in time, it may turn into persistent severe coughing, which may cause the respiratory tract to rupture, pneumothorax or physical exhaustion due to long-term cough.

—For dogs—

High-risk dogs with coughing:

(1) Middle-aged and senior dogs suffering from heart disease and tracheal collapse. As the temperature drops, the blood circulation capacity decreases, and it is easy to have an intractable cough.

(2) Most small dog breeds and flat-faced dogs raised by Hong Kong people, such as Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian, Chihuahua, Poodle and Pug, often have problems with the trachea, especially collapse of the trachea. 

If the dog has severe cough (with or without sputum), difficulty in breathing, general malaise etc., there is a chance of allergic bronchitis, which may be related to the season.

—For cats—

Normally cats breathe about 30 to 40 times per minute. When they breathe with mouth open or have difficulties in breathing, they may have respiratory diseases. The cause of coughing in cats is mainly caused by environmental factors, including cold air, grass and pollen, fragrances etc., which occur at any age, but occur more often at 2-8 years old.

High-risk cats with coughing: breeds of short nasal tubes, such as Persian cats, exotic Shorthair and Chinchilla cats.

If your pet starts to cough, it is suggested to consult veterinarian (recommended to take a video when your pet is coughing for reference), at the same time you may provide natural herbal supplement to help them prevent and soothe cough, asthma and respiratory allergies.