Occasional coughing in dogs may be normal, but persistent or chronic coughing could be a telltale sign that they’re sick. Consult your veterinarian immediately if this becomes an issue for your pup.
Your vet will conduct a physical exam and diagnostic testing in order to pinpoint the source of your dog’s coughing. Treatment plans will then be devised based on these results.
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Heart Disease
Heart disease in dogs often results in deep, honking coughs caused by the collapse or stenosis of the tracheal system and obstruction of their airways, with inflammation affecting larynx leading to food inhalation into their lungs (aspiratory tracheobronchitis). Pulmonary hypertension – where fluid builds up within pulmonary arteries reducing oxygen delivery to their lungs resulting in reduced oxygen delivery to their lungs, leading to decreased oxygen supply, resulting in decreased oxygen delivery to their lungs resulting in coughing fits.
Dogs with pneumonia typically exhibit a dry cough. Infected pets typically exhibit fever, low energy, and poor appetite; treatment typically includes antibiotics and antiparasitic therapies such as humidifiers/nebulizers. Supportive care services also are provided in these cases. Meanwhile, heartworm disease caused by mosquito bites will often produce coughing fits as adult worms mature within their pulmonary arteries and cause them to produce adult worms to form adult cysts which will then need be coughed up through their pulmonary arteries causing adult cysts to form within.
Lungworms
Coughing can be caused by infections that impact lungs or airways in dogs. Common infectious causes for coughing in canines include viruses and bacteria working alone or together to cause canine influenza or kennel cough.
Lungworms can also contribute to dog coughing. Spread by mosquito bites, these parasites inflame both lungs and heart which leads to coughing in an effort to clear up. Regular worming treatments should include lungworm treatments; for optimal results they should be administered monthly.
Your dog could become exposed to lungworms if rummaging through undergrowth or drinking from wet weather puddles, picking up slugs and snails carrying lungworms that migrate from their source into their intestinal mucosa, bloodstream, liver, lungs. Once there they mature into spaghetti-like adults that cause alveolitis and bronchiolitis.
Infections
Coughing can be caused by both bacterial and viral infections. Kennel cough, also known as infectious tracheobronchitis, is an inflammation and infection of the trachea (windpipe) and main lower airways in dogs who spend time together in groups such as obedience training classes, dog day care facilities or boarding facilities. Young dogs are at increased risk, though any age dog may contract this disease.
Coughing caused by infection can sound similar to gagging, or may increase in pitch, suggesting an obstruction in your dog’s throat. Pneumonia is another infection that causes coughing in dogs; this one is more serious than Kennel Cough as it may lead to loss of appetite, lethargy and an inability to breathe normally in your pup.
Antibiotics
Coughing can be caused by anything from an obstruction in their windpipe to something stuck there; this is especially common among small breeds like Yorkshire terriers and Pomeranians.
Dogs that are allergic to irritating substances such as dust, pollen, secondhand smoke, household sprays, mold and certain foods may experience coughing due to respiratory irritation caused by these agents; such irritants cause the respiratory system to overreact by producing mucus as a defensive response.
Some conditions, like tracheal collapse, may be treated but not always. If your dog is coughing due to heart disease, a veterinarian will likely recommend medications which reduce its workload by widening blood vessels and relieving congestion. When treating chronic bronchitis dogs may need additional antibiotics such as Doxycycline or Enrofloxacin.
Cough Suppressants
Deep, dry coughs in dogs could be indicative of Kennel Cough or infectious tracheobronchitis affecting upper airways rather than lungs, so pet parents must notify their veterinarian as soon as they hear any sounds that suggest this possibility. Pet owners should carefully describe this cough to their vet in order to help determine what might be underlying the situation.
Many pet owners believe that Robitussin will help their dog feel better, but these medications should only ever be given with veterinarian approval. As an alternative, consider natural alternatives which will both promote your dog’s wellbeing while combatting infection – for instance switching out their collar for a harness can ease pressure off his trachea while coughing; additionally avoiding secondhand smoke, household sprays, or anything that might irritate him should help him feel healthier overall.
