Natural Remedies to Treat Kennel Cough in Dogs

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Josh King (USA) on 04/17/2021 29 posts
★★★★★

Hi. I had been treating a pup with kennel cough for about 8 days. Took to the vet. Got doxycycline. Dosed twice and my dog got worse.

The vet confirmed kennel cough. infection was moving to the lungs after dosing doxycycline. One side effect potentially of the antibiotic is restricted airways (maybe not a good idea on vet's part to use this for kennel cough??) Took her back and got a second antibiotic. Freaked out; I decided to stop antibiotics altogether. Never opened the new bottle of Amoxycillin.

I used Ted's remedy for kennel cough as I've had it memorized by heart for some time now, I have used it for myself and my mother for COVID19 and for flu the winter before.

1 crystal sodium thiosulfate. (crystal about 2 mm long and 1 mm thick) dissolved in half glass water, with 1/64 tsp zinc orotate powder, or about 15mg in total zinc for a 60 lb dog. Zinc can be toxic to dogs in high amount, but not this amount, have charcoal on hand in case I overdose the dog.
I gave this solution only once as an opener.
Immediately followed by 1/8 teaspoon each of pure N Acetyl Cystine (NAC) and L-Lysine amino acids. Get capsules at a pharmacy or big box stores if you can't wait for online orders.
Repeat 1/8t each of amino acids 3 more times, an hour apart for a total of 4 dosages.
Repeat 4 more times the next day, an hour apart; do not repeat zinc / thiosulfate again.

"The dog should come out fine" in Ted's words.

He is right. Her week long pneumonia , cough, and lung fluid was entirely gone.

I dosed the amino acids in bone broth nice and warm but not boiling.

I also used 1/8 tsp pure echinacea powder, and 1/16 tsp 5:1 goldenseal extract powder in the bone broth with each dose, as well as a sprinkle of garlic powder. I was using these herbs before too, with not much improvement, though they did seem to relieve her discomfort somewhat.

Ted's remedy saved my girl, and without having to destroy her gut bacteria with harsh antibiotics. I am dosing her with probiotics for a little while maybe a week or two just to counter what the doxycycline may have done.

PS: Doxycycline causes either suicidal thoughts , depression, or hallucinations in humans, in more than 50% of cases with side effects. Tread carefully.

UPDATE: It may help the dog's GI tract to buffer the amino acids' acidity, by administering a little baking soda in milk between meals once a day, perhaps 1/8 tsp in a dash of milk. Halt after remedy is complete - unless dosing baking soda for other issues.

Honey and Lemon

Posted by Carole H. (Surrey, UK) on 04/22/2015
★★★★★

My dog who is 14 years old started to cough and sneeze and had a runny nose. It started after I had taken him to the local park. I looked on an internet site and the symptoms he had sounded like hayfever. He did have the same problem the same time last year. I have been giving him some honey and lemon cough mixture without any additives and this week he is much improved glad to say the cough has gotten less and the other symptoms have nearly gone. I never knew dogs could get hayfever but it seems they can.

Herbal Tea for Calves

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 02/25/2015

Dear Theresa,

Thank you for being so encouraging!

It is always a pleasure to see your positive, caring, and helpful posts for people needing help with their animals. I know that so many have been blessed in many ways by your posts! Thanks for all you do!

~Mama to Many~

Honey, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lemon Juice

Posted by Rosemarie (Waikato, Nz) on 03/25/2014
★★★★★

What a great remedy! Our dog woke up with a terrible cough we presumed was kennel cough - a real gaggy terrible sounding noise which left him almost choking. It was no better two days later, so before heading to the vet we decided to give this remedy a go. 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp honey, 5 drops Hydrogen Peroxide (its a big dog! ). Spread this onto a thick dry piece of ciabatta and fed it to him before his other food morning and night. He loved it and within 2 days the coughing had stopped completely.

Rosehips, Lemon, Honey, Garlic

Posted by Wishapup (Southeastern Area, Ontario, Canada) on 05/13/2013
★★★★★

My 64-or-so pound dog once had a cough/respiratory infection in the middle of winter, and the vet told us to wait it out. She was coughing a lot and not doing well, so I started some home treatments for her. I made sure she was warm, and added some powdered garlic and water to her dry kibble each meal. I also gave her, several times a day, a mixture of about 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp honey, and added some to her kibble. It really seemed to soothe her throat and keep her from coughing. To encourage her to eat it, I had to add crushed biscuit.

I also added wild rosehips to her diet. They have a huge amount of Vitamin C, and I would add handfuls to her food and give them to her as treats. She consumed a full quart of them within 1 week! Her recovery was quick and she was soon back to her normal self again.

Honey

Posted by Rhinebeckdude (Rhinebeck, Ny) on 02/24/2013
★★★★★

My new adopted German Shorthair came down with what looked like kennel cough a day after coming with me. It went from initial sneezing to cough, to coughing up flem every 15 mins... He never threw up his food, just the junk sitting in his throat.

I started treating him with 1 teaspoon of honey and when he coughed I gently patted his chest to try and loosen some of the junk... It also gave the young dog some comfort to be held while coughing. Results were seen in 4-8 hrs. Now, he just has sniffles and occasional dry cough, which I will retreat with honey/lemon mix. Seems like it works.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Rhonda (Ephrata, Pa) on 10/26/2012
★★★★★

I rescued a 12 yr old shihtzu 1 week ago. He had the kennel cough nose vaccine that day. I saw it given. He started coughing the next day. I found this peroxide, honey recipe and it worked. I had the mixture in the drinking water for all my old dogs. 5 total. 1 week later Snicks is not coughing and the others show no sign. I do rescue and have clavamox and doxy. He did not need the meds. I will share this w/my rescue friends. You must follow the recipe and get food grade hydrogen peroxide for safety. I know how much $ I saved using this. Give it a try!

Honey, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lemon Juice

Posted by Monique (Virginia Beach, Va) on 01/22/2012
★★★★☆

My 4 puppies weight 2pounds have discharge from there noses and cough my girlfriend said this was kennel cough or worst bronchitis so I tried the honey, hp and lime juice I didn't have a lemon and one of the puppy's threw up but is better now.

They have stopped coughing all but one puppy still sounds bad and coughing how long should I give this mix to them?

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Pastor Scott (Nashua, Nh) on 08/09/2011
★★★★★

Brought my dog home from a weeks stay at a kennel we've used before with great success. Even though he was vaccinated, he developed Kennel Cough (diagnosed thanks to an online vet service). Last night he was up every 45 minutes coughing until he wretched. It was a long night. about 2am I found this site and was willing to try anything for relief for my poor buddy.

I mixed a teaspoon(-ish) of honey with a half capful of Hydrogen Peroxide (standard 3% - righout out of our medicine cabinet) and a bowl of water (several cups), slightly heated to make the honey dissolve. He didn't take to it last night, but sometime this morning he started drinking it. by this evening, his cough is all but GONE! He is acting more and more like himself, albeit tired from a long hard day yesterday and last night. But he hasn't wretched all night. Praise Jesus! And thank you for this suggestion.

Honey and Lemon

Posted by Bruce Lee (Houston, Texas, United States) on 10/03/2011

Hi, I have 3 yorkie puppies that are 10 wks old that have kennel cough. They show symptoms just like what is being described on here. Last week I googled and found this site as I have given up on the vet's antibiotic which do nothing for them. After browsing through this site, I found this forum and started to do the water/ honey/ hydrogen peroxide/ lemon thing..... End result, it didn't work... :(:( my pups are still hacking away. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or wrong mixture? I put 1 teaspoon of honey, 3 drops of hydrogen peroxide 3%, 1 cup of water/ lemon. I just leave it for them to drink. OR should I have force feed it to them?? Need help really bad... Thank you

Honey and Lemon

Posted by Lcmrockets (Austin, Tx) on 10/10/2011
★★★★★

2 of my dogs had kennel cough. I went to my health store and got vitamin c made from rose hips, it's more bioavailable that way and gave like half the therapeutic human dose. I think it was 600 mg for a 50lb dog. Anyways, it worked very quickly in a couple of days he was much better try it, I hope it helps!!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Wab (Fleminton, Nj) on 10/13/2009
★★★★★

kennel cough

WOW This is the craziest think I have ever seen. 3 drops of hydro peroxide and honey in 8 oz of water for my 15lb min pin and in less than a minute she is cured. The best part other than the cure is no 200.00 dollar bill or 40.00 prescription. Thanks

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Anna (Houston, Texas) on 11/25/2008
★★★★★

3% HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

WOW!!! I thank God for this imformation, i just read this about an hour ago and tried it, and i can not believe my ears my 13 year old little bits has not done that anoying cough im still waiting to see if im just not hearing things but i went out side he drank this thing he loves it and he has not done the cought when he sees me, he used to cough alot!!!! when he would see me, but i just can't believe that he has not done it again thank God for this information and may the Lord bless you for sharing this with us.

Anna

Homeopathic Remedies

Posted by Evonne (Goshen, Ohio) on 04/10/2017

I'd use a 6x or 6c for pets or children. Don't be afraid of using the 12x or 12c if that's all you can find. Be sure to read up on how to use the remedies. You don't dose if they are responding. Seems counterintuitive compared to modern medicine.

Homeopathic Remedies

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 10/23/2018

Hey Monica!

You can follow the directions on the Boiron bottle for dosage.

I do have a concern when I read your post: dogs can cough for many reasons and coughing is not a reported side effect for Flourinef. Coughing is a sign of a collapsed trachea, common for some breeds of small dogs, and it is also a sign of congestive heart failure. You might consider taking your dog to the vet for further diagnosis if the homeopathic remedy provides no relief.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Hilary (San Tan, Arizona) on 12/27/2007
★★★★★

100% Natural Oregano oil in capsules ; 2 capsules twice a day for a week or so, about 2 to 5 drops of oregano oil per capsule with a carrier agent like grape seed oil (about 12 drops). You can get the essential oil at most nature type food stores and the empty capsules. Within a few days you will notice a huge difference in your dog and within a week no more coughing and back to normal. You can also sterilize your home of germs and viruses by putting about 15 to 20 drops in a humidifier and running it. Your house will smell like a wonderful italian kitchen and the house will be sanitized!

Honey, Hydrogen Peroxide on Bread

Posted by Beth (TX) on 06/26/2022

What MGO strength of the honey did you use?

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by DL (Cali) on 09/26/2019
★★★★☆

My elderly dog (60 pounds) got kennel cough for the first time from the vet exactly 5 days after going there to get vaccination boosters, including one for kennel cough! I added a few drops of 3% peroxide to his food, mixed with water, and he stopped coughing within about 48 hours. However, I didn't keep up the peroxide and the cough came back.. After a week of this, I took him back to the vet who told me, "Yes, it's possible he caught it here" and that it can take up to 2 weeks for it to run its course, maybe longer for older dogs. He ended up giving me antibiotics since my dog also had a runny nose and I was about to go out of town and leave a coughing dog with my dog sitter. The antibiotics kicked his healing into high gear and he stopped coughing the next day. So I like the peroxide remedy for kennel cough but recommend to definitely keep it up for a few days after symptoms disappear.

I think if one of my dogs gets kennel cough in the future, I'll try the peroxide, honey and fresh lemon juice remedy that I just read about in posts here on EC.

Wild Cherry Bark, Slippery Elm or Honey

Posted by Maggie (Idaho) on 09/18/2018 36 posts
★★★★★

I use wild cherry bark, slippery elm bark, or honey (one at a time, not all three) when my mini poodle starts coughing. The honey I just put on my finger and she licks it off and the coughing stops right away. The other 2 supplements come in capsules so I open 1 up and put half of it in her wet food (they don't taste bad) twice a day. The honey stops the cough right away and is a quick fix. I use the other 2 supplements when I think she may be having a problem and after about 3 days, she's okay. Don't know if these supplements would work for allergies but we had some very bad air quality this year and she starting coughing so I gave her 1 of the supplements and after a few days, she was fine.

Herbal Tea for Calves

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 02/25/2015

Hey MTM!

The remedy makes so much sense, and the video is AWESOME!

Thanks for sharing!!!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 08/26/2015

Hey Southernstar!

There are two main differences between the drug store hydrogenperoxide and the food grade that I have found - strength/dilution and pureness. The drugstore kind is typically a 3% dilution and has stabilizers to give it a longer shelf life - so impure. The food grade is pure and usually highly concentrated 15% or higher.

It is ideal to use the food grade because it is pure, and to dilute it to 3% or even 1% for oral use or taking in small doses as you would for kennel cough. That said plenty of folks have used the drug store kind orally with good result and no apparent ill effects **in small doses**. Again, ideal to use the food grade though it may require some searching to locate it, but in a pinch folks have used the easier to locate 3% impure-due-to-stabilizers drug store stuff.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/25/2015

Dear Southern Star,

I don't think most health food stores stock food grade hydrogen peroxide. Many, many people use the stuff from the drug store in the brown bottle for medicinal purposes. We do. I had some food grade, but it is actually quite dangerous if you don't know how to dilute properly so I gave it away. It made me nervous.

~Mama to Many~

Drossera 30C

Posted by Om (Hope Bc Canada) on 12/26/2013
★★★★★

The remedy for kennel cough is DROSSERA 30C. Research online. Om

Drossera 30C

Posted by Vee B. (Az) on 08/16/2017

Can you give me recommended dosage of Drosera for an 8lb dog? I have 30c pellets. I've looked online and can't seem to find a dosage guide for a small dog.

Thanks!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Caleb (Tennessee) on 11/22/2013
★★★★★

I used about 2-3 TBSP of an Asian honey aloe tea about 2 cups of water and 2-3 drops of regular peroxide. My boxer had an awful cough and was really suffering.

This mix worked wonders. Within a day he was about 75% better and now just three days out he's about 95% well. Thanks for sharing this recipe.