I have a very small 10yr old yorkshire terrier with a persistant hacking cough. At first I thought it may be kennel cough from an unknown source but to my knowledge he has not knowingly been in contact with this and my other dog has not developed any symptoms. He is fine in every other way, sleeping on my bed and ok through the night, he is playing, eating and drinking as usual and barking too. Sometimes the cough will start up with too much excitement or without any reason, there is no real pattern. This cough started almost two weeks ago now and it is not really improving. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow so will find out the problem then but has anybody got any ideas what may be causing his symptoms? I am not bothered about the expense but I dont like my dogs being given medication for the sake of it and without good reason.
2007-07-03 10:00:03 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
EXTRA INFO...we have a no smoking household but we do have cats. I have wondered about an allergy though. He does not have anything that could stick in his throat he is not a big eater and my dogs do not have access to food I am not aware of. They are wormed and do not go anywhere public where other dogs go so not sure how would he have got heartworm? How do dogs get heartworm is it from any other animals faeces?
2007-07-03 10:56:07 · update #1
Although it is common for vets to see dogs with coughs, pinpointing the cause and solution is not always simple. First, a vet should listen to the actual sound your dog is making and determine whether it's the cough or the gag that is the main component. Is the cough a dry hack or moist? Does your dog cough anything up, and if so, what does it look like? Does he cough throughout the day or at specific times such as at night, after drinking water, or when first waking up?
Make sure your veterinarian performs a thorough physical exam on your dog. The next step usually involves taking x-rays of the neck and chest. Blood tests help identify infections, heartworm disease, and any organ system problems. Some common causes of coughing and gagging include foreign objects in the airway, bronchitis, bacterial pneumonia, heart disease, laryngeal paralysis, fungal infections, reflux esophagitis (similar to heartburn in people), food allergies, parasites, tumors, and other diseases. Environmental factors such as exposure to cigarette smoke, new perfumes, or new bedding or carpeting can also aggravate coughing.
For mild episodes, massaging your dog's throat may help lessen the symptoms. In difficult cases, I recommend getting a second opinion from a board-certified specialist in veterinary internal medicine.
2007-07-04 01:25:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Whatever the vet prescribes, ask them to explain exactly what the medication is going to do and why it's being prescribed. Make sure you understand what's going on - the vet will be happy to explain.
There are a many different causes of coughing. It isn't always an infectious problem. Yorkies are prone to collapsing tracheas - this isn't always as bad as it sounds. Yorkies often have a congenital condition whereby the rings of cartilage in their trachea are weak - it can be controlled my stopping the coughing that irritates the trachea, i.e by using anti-tussive (anti-cough) medication.
Coughing may also been a sign of heart problems, more common in old animals.
It could still be kennel cough though - this is a possibility if your dog has been in contact with any other dogs at all, doesn't have to be in kennels.
Given the possible complexity of cough-causes, I'll reiterate - do make sure you question your vet as much as you need so you understand what's going on. Don't be afraid to pick the phone up when you get home if you think of anything you've forgotten! You'll get way better answers that way.
Chalice
2007-07-03 10:12:53 · answer #2 · answered by Chalice 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Kennel cough will cause a constant cough. Lots of us don't even visit the vets with kennel cough however you normally know that it is around and tend to therefore know the diagnosis when your dog goes down with it, and then you must also watch as it can turn to pneumonia which is dangerous. This is why a vet would give anti-biotics, not for the kennel cough itself as that is a virus but for complications. Have you got any honey in the house, if so spoon feed this, and if you happen to have any benedryl or benelyn (UK) then give that as well.
2016-03-14 22:14:55 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Somebody has just got to say this: taking him to the vet is a good thing to do. It also shows that you truly love your dog.
My dog had something similar to a cold a while ago. He made a noise like swallowing, but somewhat "harder", if you know what i mean. It went away in a few days.
I have never really heard of anything like THIS sort of "dog-cough". Good you are taking him to the vet, that's what I would have suggested.
2007-07-03 10:45:51 · answer #4 · answered by Blondie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Allergies can cause the cough as well as having a cold. The weather may have given the dog a cold. Also, heartworms cause a cough even though the animal seems fine otherwise. Good luck.
2007-07-03 10:09:30 · answer #5 · answered by happybidz2003 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You really should take him to a vet. I don't want to scare you, but when my boxer had a similar cough, it was from heartworms. At the time I couldn't afford the preventative. Wish I had found a way to pay for it. The heartworm treatment cost over $600.
2007-07-03 10:06:24 · answer #6 · answered by enufsaid 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be a sign of the start of some sort of heart disease - good that you are taking him to the vet.
If you are in the UK, don't worry - it's very unlikely to be heart worm as it is usually only found in dogs which have been imported from outside the UK.
Wait & see what the vet says - Good Luck
2007-07-03 11:19:04 · answer #7 · answered by anwen55 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does your dog moult? He may be trying to cough up bits of fur from cleaning himself. We have a Lhasa Apso and and he does this sometimes. The cough sounds awful but it is just a cough.
2007-07-03 10:04:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
We lost our cocker spaniel 2 yrs ago from a bad cough, i took her to the vet, they did a xray and she had a enlarged heart. The vet said she could take medicine for that, and should live a longer life. She got so bad that she died 3 days later. Make sure they do a xray.
2007-07-03 10:14:58 · answer #9 · answered by flwr5233 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are many types of canine cough, not just kennel cough. Mine had this, and she was diagnosed with a cough and sore throat! She was given antibiotics for a throat infection and soon recovered.
2007-07-03 10:03:14 · answer #10 · answered by Dogsbody 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋