Most dog owners have heard their dogs coughing every once in a while. If you are one of these people, you have probably written it down without much concern as it does not happen often. However, if it has become more persistent and is accompanied by gagging, something could have caused this shift.
If coughs only happen occasionally, there is probably nothing to be worried about. It could come from drinking or eating too fast. However, if your pup is making different sounds than the typical occasional cough, and it happens frequently, you should get concerned.
The sound of a cough is capable of telling you what is wrong inside your dog. There are lots of reasons why your puppy is coughing. It could be due to a particular condition for an obtrusive and persistent hacking. Unfortunately, it could also be a sign of a bigger and dangerous issue.
Kennel Cough
A common condition related to a coughing dog is the kennel cough (known as tracheobronchitis). This condition causes an inflammation of the bronchial tubes and trachea. It is highly contagious, and a lot of dogs catch one in their lifetime.
Each dog has different effects related to kennel cough. In mild cases, your dog will act normally without hacking. However, severe cases can progress to dangerous diseases such as pneumonia.
Chronic Conditions
In other cases, a persistent and frequent cough can be one of the signs of a chronic condition, including chronic bronchitis. These conditions are often tricky to diagnose since most of them have signs that can be related to kennel cough. The condition will reveal itself in some time because kennel cough tends to improve in 1-3 weeks.
Collapsed Trachea
Some small dogs, such as Pomeranians and Chihuahuas can cough as a sign of a collapsing trachea. This condition is not as dangerous as it sounds, it only means that the trachea does not have all the strength it needs to bring air into the body.
Heart Issues
Persistent coughs can also be associated with a problem in your dog’s heart. This would be a broad-spectrum condition and could be symptomatic from a pulmonary edema to a heartworm disease. If one of these is the case, then the cough of your dog will be the smallest concern.
Fungi and Yeasts Infections
The presence of yeast or fungi could also be the cause of the excessive cough. These kinds of infections appear in your dog through a viral contact. They could be mild in nature and treated with antibiotics or other prescription medicines.
Lung Cancer
Furthermore, a cough could also be a sign of cancer, especially lung cancer. If this is the case, you will probably notice that other systems that have a persistent gagging or coughing seem soft in comparison.
Summary
If your dog’s cough becomes regular, you must start to pay special attention to the signs she/he is showing. This signs could deeply help your veterinarian to proceed with an accurate diagnosis after running some tests on your dog. An early detection of any chronic or dangerous condition can make the difference for the life of your dog, so be aware of the behaviors and signs she/he shows and take care of her/him!