Coupage, also known as percussion therapy, is performed on dogs with pneumonia in order to dislodge mucus that can then be expelled from the body while coughing.

Pneumonia in Dogs:
Pneumonia is an inflammation of deep lung tissue that can be life threatening if left untreated. It can be caused by fungal infection, bacterial infections or viral infections. In addition to these, there are other forms of pneumonia such as parasitic pneumonia caused by lungworms and allergic pneumonia. Pneumonia generally affects puppies that are less than a year old although older dogs could also get pneumonia. Sporting dogs, hounds, mixed breeds and working dogs are a few breeds that are most susceptible to pneumonia.

Symptoms of pneumonia include:
Deep cough with discharge
Fever
Listlessness
Loss of appetite
Labored breathing
Rapid breathing
Wheezing
Blue gums

Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Dogs:
A veterinarian can easily diagnose pneumonia by listening to your pet’s breathing which will sound labored. Lung sounds will be abnormal and your pet will have a cough and a fever. A lung X-ray will reveal clouding of the lung area. It will also show a faint heart outline due to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

Coupage for Dogs with Pneumonia:
Coupage or percussion therapy is beneficial for a pet with pneumonia as it helps to dislodge secretions and fluid that’s accumulated in the lungs. These secretions enter the airways after dislodgement and are expelled through coughing from these airways. The lungs can then retain more air and ease the breathing difficulty experienced by the dog.
Coupage should be performed several times a day to your pet irrespective of whether he is suffering from a mild form of pneumonia or is in critical condition.

How to Perform Coupage:
You should stand your pet on a table so that you can work comfortably.

Hold your hands cupped so that there is a pocket of air between your palms and your pet’s body when you hold your hands against his chest. If you have a big pet, you should use both palms. For a small pet, coupage should be done with only one hand. You should pat your palms on your pet’s chest so that it sounds like a galloping horse. You should be firm enough to dislodge the secretions from his lungs but gentle enough not to hurt him. The entire chest area should be covered. You may work on one side of the chest and then alternate to the other side if you are using only one hand.
You must ensure that both sides of the entire chest area are patted firmly and fairly rapidly. Coupage should ideally be done after nebulization and when the dog is coughing so that he can expel the mucus easily.

Coupage should be continued till your dog is cured of pneumonia. The veterinarian’s instructions should be followed and all medications should be administered as prescribed in order to ensure that your pet does not suffer from a relapse.

Coupage is here. We made that about 2 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjPMjlhluQ4

Here is a video demonstrating coupage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrTqco9_jiE