Phlegm plays a rather important role in the overall performance of the immune system by preventing any foreign particles such as dust and smoke entering too deep into the system. Besides this, it could also be a very prominent symptom of the presence of some kind of medical condition. A dog coughing up phlegm is, more often than not, witnessed when the animal is suffering from a condition known as kennel cough. The animal will suffer from a violent, hacking cough and the owner will also witness the dog coughing up white phlegm. In an effort to get the white phlegm out of the body, the animal will also produce a gagging sound from its throat. Although, it is also important to remember that the expulsion of white phlegm is only another one of the symptoms and not a requirement for the animal to be diagnosed as suffering from kennel cough. If looking for a reference point of the problems faced when the animal is suffering from kennel cough, it can be closely linked to influenza in humans. Just as with influenza, a kennel cough is caused by a mixture of viruses and bacteria and tends to impact the upper respiratory tract of the animal predominantly.
Another aspect that should not be ignored is the fact that kennel cough is likely to be a symptom of some other, possibly more serious, underlying medical condition such as heartworm, parasites, pneumonia and irritating allergies. Because of the fact that kennel cough is a very common condition, there are a number of very effective home remedies that you could try which should help significantly. Although the most telling symptom of the condition is the dog coughing phlegm, the treatment is primarily targeted at cough control. In most cases, the veterinarian prescribed over the counter medication will be all you need to treat the animal, but the purpose should never be underestimated as it is of vital importance to reduce the damage to the trachea. Raw honey is known to be very useful when it comes to treating a kennel cough and simply mixing it with a small amount of warm water before the dog drinks it will prove useful. Using peppermint leaves to brew a tea that could be administered to the animal with the help of a medicinal dropper is another very effective home remedy to help with kennel cough.
answered by G R