My dog shakes his head. What are dog flu symptoms or other causes?

Head shaking doesn't indicate anything on its own. It could be that there is something irritating Orvia's ear or nose, itchy skin, a bug bite causing a reaction, neurologic or muscular issues, or more. If you are seeing other signs and symptoms in addition to the head shaking (loss of balance, nausea, confusion, etc), discharge from the ears or nose, or the head shaking doesn't resolve, having a vet take a look in person is best.

Cough and runny nose can be caused by an infection, heart problem or lung condition, it is important to first know the cause before treating it as treatment is different from condition to another. The most common disease causing cough is a viral/bacterial infection called Kennel cough, this disease usually resolves without treatment within a couple weeks but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It sounds like buddy could have inhaled something in the yard like a blade of grass or a dried weed or foxtail. If they inhale plant material like this they will often have bouts of sneezing violently and often shake/thrash their head during the sneezing attacks. Sometimes they will also flare their nostril on the side of the foreign material or may have Nasal discharge from that nostril. If buddy continues to have sneezing fits i would have him evaluated by his veterinarian. If they think he could have inhaled something, they will sedate him and look up to nose with special instruments to visualize and remove any foreign material. Dogs can also inhale irritating pollens etc in the yard causing a short few episodes of sneezing. If it is just a little allergic reaction to something they inhale it is usually self limiting and requires no treatment. Hope this helps!

So the dog flu comes in two varieties. The first strain is not usually serious and can cause some nasal congestion, coughing and sneezing. Many dogs clear it on their own within a week or two. The second strain of flu (the one in the news lately) is more serious. However, dogs with this strain are usually much sicker (lethargy, fever, not wantin to eat, severe cough). The other options are kennel cough (a “doggy cold”) or allergies. Make sure Baxley is eating well and continues to have a good attitude. If he shows any of the signs I mentioned earlier, take him into the vet. In the mean time, you can run a humidifier near where he sleeps or put him in the bathroom with you while you run a hot shower. The steam can be very helpful in loosening the mucous. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Head shaking can often be a sign of an ear infection, something stuck in the ear or a tooth problem. Lift up his ears and look in the canals for redness, discharge or odor. Ear and tooth problems need to be evaluated by a veterinarian and I recommend to have him seen today if possible. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The flu can have mild GI signs but usually they have fevers, decreased appetite and lots of coughing and snotty noses with congestion. Distemper virus can cause Gi and respiratory sogns and profess to neurological disease. If chronic diarrhea is the main problem they can do dewormer just to make sure and test the pancreas function with a blood test. There is also a theist swab that can test for severe respiratory components to make sure it is nothing serious.