dog cold

Question
i have a mixed breed dog. i think its parents r a german shepherd and rotwilder becuz of hte outstanding features. recently my dog has been sniffing and at times i think i hear a cough from him, therefore im assuming that the dog has a cold. But idont kno how 2 treat this cold so im askin u for assisstance. medecine or some kinda treatment. i hope ive given u relevant information to help me out.

Answer
Hi Jason,
Dogs do not get colds like people do, but they can have respiratory infections. A discharge from the nose generally means trouble. Several diseases including distemper, bacterial rhinitis, infected sinuses, and kennel cough can be the reason.A trip to the veterinary clinic is definitely in order if he has a runny discharge.  Coughing could be from kennel cough, but you need to be very careful as coughing in dogs is also a sign that something COULD be seriously wrong, such as heart disease,pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis or even a collapsed windpipe. If your dog coughs for more than 24 hours, then you really should take him to a Vet to rule out anything serious.   
Since this is not just a "simple cold" then I hesitate to tell you to give him anything. You probably should at least call your Vet to see what they think.  

God Bless,
Becky