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My newly adopted dog sneezes & breathes heavily. Is it kennel cough?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 40 lbs

Just adopted 1 year old mutt from pound yesterday. Eats well, plays well seems to be adjusting and happy. He sneezes quite a bit whenever he wakes up from sleep and sounds to have heavy breathing on amd off while sleeping. Not sure if it allergies or cold or something from the kennel

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 19th, 2017

Congrats on your new dog! It certainly is possible that Finn has a respiratory infection if he was living in the pound before coming to your home. I would have him seen by a vet tomorrow. The vet can diagnose if he does have a respiratory infection, and can prescribe medications to treat his symptoms. Tonight, if he's congested, you can also try using a humidifier or bringing him into the bathroom with the door closed while you take a hot shower - the steam and humidity help to break up congestion and temporarily relieve symptoms associated with respiratory infections.

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    Answered By Rebeccah Wood

    Licensed Veterinary Technician, Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist

    Published on September 9th, 2017

    Hello there! I do recommend that you bring Finn to a vet as soon as you can. While his symptoms may be caused by a simple viral upper respiratory infection (which is common for dogs coming from shelters or group rescues), viral infections can cause secondary bacterial infections, and I worry that his elevated temperature may be caused by this. He may require antibiotics, and potentially some fluids to prevent dehydration from the fever. Untreated bacterial infections in the upper respiratory tract can cause pneumonia, which can be very serious. A visit to the vet can prevent this with the correct treatment. At the vet, they will listen to his heart and lungs, and potentially recommend a chest x-ray if anything sounds suspicious. Hopefully a round of antibiotics is all he needs, but it's best to get him to the vet soon so that he can start feeling better. If he becomes very lethargic or appears to have trouble breathing, please bring him to an emergency hospital right away. Good luck, and I hope that Finn recovers well!

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