Dog Health Watch: Tonsillitis in Dogs

If you noticed that your dog is licking its lips and coughing, he may not have a simple cough. He may be suffering from tonsillitis. Some people may not know it, but it is not only humans who experience tonsillitis. Man's best friend is likewise susceptible to this infection.

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils which are lymph nodes located at the back of a dog's throat. This may be caused by viral or bacterial infection. Learning more about tonsillitis and how it affects dog health is very useful. Knowing what are the potential causes and treatments for the ailment will help pet owners in resolving dog health issues related to tonsillitis.

How Do Dogs Get Tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis in dogs is primarily caused by a bacteria or virus attacking the dog's immune system. There are some situations such as diseases in the dog's mouth and chronic vomiting which bring about this infection to your canine pal. Sore throat is also another factor found to be linked to tonsillitis. Tartar buildup may likewise cause this common dog health problem. One unique fact regarding tonsillitis though is that it is more common in smaller breeds as compared to bigger ones. So if you have small dogs then regularly checking for the symptoms would be a recommended practice.

How Do I Know My Dog Has Tonsillitis?

Some of the most common symptoms of tonsillitis in dogs are coughing and gagging. This is the most noticeable and most likely to grab the owner's attention. Aside from this, other known symptoms of tonsillitis are fever, difficulty swallowing, repeated licking of the lips, and refusal to eat. In some cases, the inflamed tonsils of the canine can be noticed upon a simple stroke of your pet's neck.

How Do I Treat Tonsillitis In My Dog?

To best treat tonsillitis in dogs, it is important to find out what specifically caused it. Addressing the root cause would then result in the deflation of the tonsils and improving the overall dog health of your pet. It's always wise to consult a veterinarian on the proper treatment to administer so you would not be giving the wrong medicine to your pet. 

Prednisone, an antibiotic, is usually prescribed by the vet in cases where vomiting and coughing symptoms are present. If the cause is the tartar buildup then a dental cleaning would probably be administered. In worst cases the doctor would recommend for a tonsillectomy to be done. This is a procedure where the inflamed tonsils are removed surgically and is done only when necessary.

How Can I Prevent Tonsillitis In My Dog?

It's an age old saying that prevention is better than cure. Keep your dog's oral hygiene in proper check and have regular check-up visits to the vet. This can help prevent tonsillitis and limit the dog health issues that your pet may encounter. It may seem a bit expensive at first but keeping your pet healthy and happy will be well worth it.

Tonsillitis in Dogs: Information, Treatment and Prevention

Like humans, dogs have pair of tonsils.If you take a look inside your dog's mouth, they appeared like lymph nodes. Same to human, the role of these tonsils is to combat infection to protect dog health. Now when these tonsils are swollen, your dog may experience pain. They gag and the lick their lips regularly. They can't eat well. Dog suffering from tonsillitis usually experience loss in appetite due to pain and frequently, swollen tonsils results to extreme fatigue.

You see, there are millions of bacteria inside a dog's mouth. When these dogs suffer from chronic cough and chronic vomitting, it results to tonsillitis. There came to be a point when your dog experiences depression due to the inflamed tonsils and even in your naked eye, you can observe this condition.

You need to be aware that tonsillitis in small dogs are common than in the large ones. Seeing them suffer breaks your heart that's why; you need to immediately bring them to the nearest veterinarian and seek help.

Prednisone Tonsillitis in Dogs

What can you give a dog for tonsillitis? Usually, the first method to treating dog tonsillitis is to find out what truly causes the disease. It's better not take them to veterinarian than diagnosing them all by yourself. The vet will not administer medication unless he cures the underlying cause of the disease.

If the symptoms of the tonsilitis in dogs are vomiting or coughing, the veterinarian administers prednisone antibiotic to be taken for two to three weeks. The role of the antibotics is to treat the infections only. If the existence of tonsilitis is only caused by tartar, your dog's teeth must only be cleaned by a professional dentist for dogs and no further medication is needed.

When you use prednisone to treat your dog's tonsillitis, this means your dog is experiencing the worst type of tonsillitis. Dogs should not take prednisone or other steroidal drugs for a long period if possible. Some people say tonsillitis in dogs can be contagious to humans. This is not true. Only the tonsillitis caused by unusual bacterium can be harmful to humans. Other than that, it's safe.

If antibiotic-treatment is not enough, your veterinarian might suggest of a tonsillectomy. This is another surgical procedure where the infected tonsils are removed. Tonsillectomy is only done when it's only necessary depending on the chronic severity of the condition.

Preventive Measure

Therefore, to avoid tonsillitis in your dogs, keep their oral hygiene clean. It will be better if you take them in their dentist twice in two months. I know it will be expensive but better be in this condition than seeing them suffer. Treating tonsillitis in dogs is possible but avoiding the disease is even better.