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.
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Video Transcript

Wondering how to keep airways clear in puppies so they can smell and breathe in order to eat? Hi, I'm Doctor Marty Greer, Director of Veterinary Services with Revival Animal Health and in this Vet Minute we are going to be talking about how to keep a puppy's airway clear so he can smell, breathe and eat. It's difficult for young puppies if they have a little bit of a mucus discharge in their nose, or kittens that have an upper respiratory infection and may have some congestion, making it hard for them to smell. If they can't smell they can't find their mom. If they can't smell and breathe, they aren't going to be able to latch on and nurse effectively. So a syringe, with some sterile saline, 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.

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