my chihuahua keeps making a kind of hacking noise?

Question

she is black and white and is it because hes sick? i love him a lot but what do i do?

Answer 1

That's typical of "kennel cough."

There are medications for this, but you have to go to your vet.

This can be very uncomfortable for your dog & will only get worse if left untreated.

Answer 2

Most chihuahuas suffer from the cough you have described. It is basically caused by the palate which is not in the right position. Ofcourse it depends whether your dog always had it or whether it is an acute situation. They usually display the symptoms from puppydom onwards.. If it is a new and sudden condition it can be kennel cough or collapsing trachea. I have had three chihuhuas and they have all had it; you get used to it. My latest best friend is 13 years old. He has had a very serious spell of a different type of coughing (after kennel cough vaccination ironically!!! ) and was on his last legs for few weeks. Would not stop coughing day and night - non stop every 15 minutes. Second opinion diagnosis was collapsing trachae. He was treated with antiinflamatories and antibiotics. I was advised to put him on a diet. He lost a lot of weight (so easy to make your dog loose weight unlike oneself!). A month later his coughing (even the palate one) has stopped and he has returned back to his usual self. Apparently the fat creates pressure around the neck and lungs (he was not grossly overweight). I also got a harness for him which prevents his trachae being pressurised as well. I definitely recommend this. We go for walks / running together twice a week and hopefully I will have him around longer than the anticipated expiry date six weeks ago... Mixture of chihuhua and Yorkshire sounds like the devil itself! A little one ofcourse… : ) Keep well…

Answer 3

It probably isn't because he is sick. If he is still eating and drinking normally, and acting normally except for the hacking, then he is not sick. What you are hearing could be reverse sneezing. It actually has nothing to do with sneezing, but is a spasm caused by an irritation of the soft palate. The soft palate is a soft, fleshy tissue extension off the hard palate, or roof of the mouth. Small dogs in particular can exhibit this behavior and certain breeds may be predisposed to it. It has sent many a distraught owner to the vet in panic. Some animals can have this condition for their entire lives, or it may develop as the dog ages. During the spasm, the dog will usually turn her elbows outward and extend her neck while gasping inwards with a distinctive snorting sound. Gently massaging the throat area or pinching the dog's nostrils shut so she must breath through her mouth can help shorten the episode. Sometimes taking the dog outside in the fresh air stops the spasm. Once the attack ceases, all goes back to normal. If your dog experiences this behavior fairly frequently and the episodes are severe, a trip to the vet is in order to determine other possible causes, which can include viral infections, polyps, excessive soft palate tissue, and nasal mites. However, many cases of reverse sneezing appear to have no identifiable cause. It can be caused by a number of irritants, including dust and pollen, or household chemicals. Moreover, some dogs can launch an episode after eating, drinking or running around, or while pulling on the leash.

Answer 4

Chihuahua Coughing

Answer 5

Hacking or honking? If it's honking, all of my chihuahuas have done this. Their esophagus are very small and can calapse when they're excited causing the dog to panic a bit and try to get air. The noise is that little flap that keeps food from entering the lungs (humans have it too, I forgot it's name) rattling as they desperately gasp. Just calm your dog. Pet him, talk in a soothing voice. It may be a problem down the road as he gets older, some dogs can't catch their breath until after fainting. Take him to the vet if it happens often, lasts long or if he's older.

Answer 6

Yes, it could be kennel cough. Or it could be an even more serious problem that the small breed dogs get.
Collapsed Trachea. Very serious and you should have your dog checked at the vet's office. Alot of times if the cough sounds like a goose honking then it could be the collapsed trachea, and it could also have heart problems as well.
Please get your dog examined by a professional to be sure.

Answer 7

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://tr.im/gHn00

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 8

does it sound like a goose honking????? mine makes a honking noise every now and then,... if i pet her and comfort her she relaxes and is fine... it happens most of the time in the moring or after a nap.... my vet said it was from a collapsing narrow trachea, that other than monitoring my little pooch and comforting her there was nothing that could be done... and to relax her as i have been doing is the best thing to do for her....

good luck with yours... i am not saying that is what is up with yours.....only a vet will know for sure...

Answer 9

chihuahuas throats are samller than a dime.u need to make sure he is not weezing in the chest because if he is he could have heart womr.we thought ours had heart worm because he was coughing,sneezing,weezing,and choking or hacking but it was just that he had kennel cough.but take him to the vet and see what they say because chihuahuas are little dogs and if it keeps up there is a possibility he could choke to death.but just to amke sure take him to the vet

Answer 10

Asthma (allergies)
Kennel Cough (infection)
Parasites (roundworm, whipworm, lungworm, heartworm, hookworm)
Congenital Heart Failure
Collapsing/collapsed trachea

I think you can see from the wide variety of things that can make a dog cough, that you should probably make an appointment with your vet to discover the cause.