My Dog and Something In His Throat?

Question

I don't know if its a hacking cough, but it seems like he has fuzz from those doggie tennis balls that he plays with, and this has been going on for a few years now. Is there a way to stop this from happening without taking him to the vet because we don't have much money in the budget to take him, for ex: some medicine that we can give him that the vet will probably just give him, or do they have something that can take care if it that most places do not. It may be kennel cough, but i don't know since i don't know what kennel cough is. Also this has been happening off and on over the years. Sometimes it seems like he's about to throw up, but i think he just swallows it back down, not certain though, it could just be a little liquid. By the way, are tennis balls ok to use to play with the dog. Also to let you know, he's a little dog, maybe a shitpoo, not certain of the breed since my sister got him from the pound.

we don't use leashes and he doesn't cough after activity, this happens when he's laying around, but not certain if he does anything before it happens. Also sometimes he seems to be better when he goes outside and gets some air.

Answer 1

Please just take him to the vet. If you could just 'give him some medicine the vet will probably give him' there wouldn't be much point vets existing would there?

Kennel cough is an illness sometimes caused by a virus, but most often the bacteria Bordatella Bronciseptica. It can be passed from dog to dog very easily - it was only named kennel cough because it's most commonly passed around in kennels, when there are a high number of dogs in close contact. Its modern name is canine infectious tracheo-bronchitis.

If your dog is coughing til he nearly throws up, this is a hacking cough, he's obviously in discomfort and needs to be seen. I'm a little mystified as to why you haven't already got this sorted if it's been going on for years! If there's 'not much money in the budget', perhaps you'll need to go without something yourself to help your dog - like your internet access, as a vet is what your dog needs right now, not Yahoo Answers.

By the way, collapsing tracheas ARE surgically correctable, but I don't think it's this. I think it's either reoccuring kennel cough or the beginnings of a heart condition. Neither of which can be, or should be, treated at home.

Sorry to be so harsh, I'm not actually meaning to be rude, it's just that this is the very thing that drives me mad about Yahoo Answers - it's a fine place to go for mathematics or other things of a non-medical nature, but not when an animal is ILL. That's what vets are for.

And if you think it's tennis balls - which is unlikely - then get rid of the tennis balls.

Chalice

Answer 2

It's not kennel cough.

Collapsing trachea is common in small dogs. If your dog coughs when it pulls on a collar, it's probably this. There is no cure and no surgical repair available.

Coughing is also a sign of a heart murmur, especially if it is after activity.

Re: tennis balls. There have been some studies done that show that the glue used on tennis balls reacts to a dog's saliva to basically dissolve a dog's teeth. The tennis balls are fine as long as you don't let them get wet with drool.

Answer 3

I would say that if you think tennis balls are causing the problem, why don't you throw away your tennis balls?

Just a suggestion. Much cheaper than administering medicine, and less traumatic for your dog, too.

Answer 4

you need to call youre veterinarina and bring youre dog there soo as possiblly for insake why are you arent doing that first call the vet today.