Vet Minute: How to Manage Kitten and Puppy Nasal Congestion

Last updated: August 27, 2019

In this Vet Minute, Revival's Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Marty Greer, talks about how to help when a kitten or puppy has a stuffy nose and nasal congestion.
If you need help or have more questions on newborn puppy nasal congestion, call us at 800.786.4751.

How Do You Decongest a Newborn Puppy or Kitten

Wondering how to keep airways clear in puppies and kittens so they can smell and breathe in order to eat? Young puppies with nasal mucus discharge or uri in kittens, makes it hard for these young animals to smell. If they can't smell they can't find their mom to nurse. And if they can't smell and breathe, they aren't going to be able to latch on and nurse effectively.

Using a syringe, with some sterile saline, putting just a couple of drops in each nostril can very effectively clear the mucus out of a puppy or kittens nasal passages so that they are much better able to smell, find their mom and nurse effectively.

Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has 35+ years' experience in veterinary medicine, with special interests in canine reproduction and pediatrics. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1981. She's served as Revival's Director of Veterinary Services since 2019.