13/10/2026
Your pet starts coughing or sneezing. Is it “just the autumn weather”? 🍂🐾
Don’t let the season answer that question for you.
An occasional sneeze and a recurring cough are different situations. The useful questions are: how often is it happening, what else has changed, and is your pet breathing comfortably?
Here’s what to look for and what to do.
🔎 FIRST, NOTICE THE PATTERN
Write down when the symptoms started and whether they happen after walks, excitement, cleaning or contact with other animals.
Check for changes in:
• Appetite and drinking.
• Energy and willingness to play.
• Eye or nose discharge.
• Breathing while resting.
If your pet is comfortable, record a short video to show your vet. A cough, gagging and reverse sneezing can sound surprisingly similar. Never delay urgent care to get a recording.
🏠 CHECK WHAT YOUR PET IS BREATHING
Dust, cigarette smoke, perfumes and household sprays can irritate the nose or airways.
Keep their resting space clean and well ventilated, avoid spraying products near them, and reduce strong fragrances. For cats, a low-dust, unscented litter can help reduce exposure to irritants.
But don’t assume that removing a possible trigger explains everything. Repeated symptoms can also involve infection, airway disease or another problem that needs examination.
🐶 A COUGHING DOG DOESN’T HAVE TO LOOK SICK
Kennel cough can cause a harsh, hacking cough, even when a dog still seems cheerful and eats normally. It can spread where dogs mix, including daycare, boarding and group activities.
However, not every cough is kennel cough. Other causes include airway irritation, pressure from pulling on a collar, heart disease and objects lodged in the airway.
For a new cough, pause close contact with other dogs and ask your vet for advice. Call the clinic before arriving so they can help prevent possible spread.
🐱 FOR CATS, WATCH BOTH THE NOSE AND THE CHEST
Frequent sneezing with watery eyes or nasal discharge may indicate a respiratory infection. A blocked nose can also make food harder to smell and affect appetite.
Repeated coughing or wheezing needs veterinary advice too. Don’t automatically assume your cat is trying to bring up a hairball; airway conditions such as asthma can cause similar-looking episodes.
📞 WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL YOUR VET?
Contact your vet for:
• Frequent, severe or worsening sneezing.
• Repeated coughing, especially in a cat.
• Reduced appetite, unusual tiredness or eye/nose discharge.
• A dog’s cough that continues for more than a few days, even if they otherwise seem well.
Call sooner for puppies, kittens, older pets or pets with an existing health condition. Don’t wait several days if your pet seems unwell.
🚨 WHEN IS IT AN EMERGENCY?
Get immediate veterinary help for difficulty breathing, gasping, blue or very pale gums, collapse, or a coughing fit that won’t stop.
Open-mouth breathing in a cat is an emergency.
Keep your pet calm and contact the nearest emergency vet. Don’t force food, water or medicine into a pet struggling to breathe.
💊 AVOID THE “HUMAN COLD REMEDY” SHORTCUT
Don’t give human cough medicines, cold remedies or leftover antibiotics without veterinary instructions. Treatment depends on the cause.
And don’t try to fix respiratory symptoms by changing food or adding “immune-boosting” supplements.
💚 MAKE PREVENTIVE CARE PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Noticing changes early, keeping vaccinations appropriate to your pet’s lifestyle, and meeting their nutritional needs all belong in an everyday care routine.
FAMMO focuses on personalised nutrition and preventive health guidance for dogs and cats, helping you make more informed everyday decisions based on your pet’s age, breed, weight and sterilisation status.
Create your pet’s profile and take the next step towards a care routine built around them:
https://fammo.ai/en/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=autumn_respiratory_20261013&utm_content=educational_post
Use FAMMO alongside your veterinarian’s advice. A new cough or breathing problem needs veterinary assessment.
Save this checklist and share it with someone who cares for your dog or cat.
