The only way to ensure that your animal has bronchitis is to have your veterinarian make a diagnosis. Once it has been determined to be bronchitis, you should know that it causes an inflammation of the major air passages of the lungs; the duration of the coughing will be long until the tissues heal; and no irritation present to elicit coughing is present. There are treatments available to kill the bacteria. The treatments are expected to have killed the bacterial infection, but coughing may still persist as you wait for the healing to begin. To help with a speedy recovery you need to ensure that there is an adequate intake of proper nutrition. Confinement for feeding hay and water and restriction of walking are helpful during recovery period to prevent further weight lost, since this period may last several weeks. Close observation for fever and other symptoms will help determine if your veterinarian needs to examine the animal for secondary problems.