Tag Archives: sick dogs

Is your dog coughing? When do you worry?

2 Replies

We hate hearing our dog coughing. It’s never a good thing. Either he’s sick, he’s got something stuck in his throat, or there’s something really wrong.

The checklist

This week, Booker started coughing one evening. We’ve had dogs and know way too much about them to panic right away – but you do start going through the list in your brain:

  • Where were we?
  • Did he eat something off the ground?
  • What dogs has he interacted with lately?
  • When did this start?
  • Are the other dogs going to get it?
  • Should we take him to the vet now or wait and see?

Because he seemed otherwise normal, we opted to wait a day and see how he was. We gave him a little honey to soothe his throat. But he was eating, playing, and acting pretty normal, aside from a bit tired.

Time to get help

Boston Terrier lying in a dog bed.

The next morning his cough had worsened, so off Fran and Booker went to the vet. Our vet is pretty old school – definitely a “no panic” zone. She checked him out – no fever, clear lungs. She prescribed a cough suppressant and sent us on our way with instructions to follow up in a couple of days. Earlier if he got worse.

With the medication, Booker’s only coughing now when he chases the puppy around the yard. Apparently exertion irritates whatever’s going on. The virus he picked up someplace doing something has to run its course. As long as he improves, we’re happy.

What are the signs

There are several different kinds of coughs – each one signalling a different issue.

The deep, dry hacking cough means the dog’s upper airway is irritated and is a symptom of Kennel Cough, which is a highly-contagious virus.

A high-pitched, gagging cough may mean the dog’s airway or throat is irritated.

A wet-sounding cough may be a sign that the lungs and possible pneumonia.

A deep, honking cough is one of the signs of heart disease.

Wait and see

Most vets will say to wait a day or so and see if the cough improves on its own. If it’s just an irritation, it may disappear overnight, or after a meal.

If the cough worsens, or if your dog’s behavior changes, it’s time to go to the vet and find out what’s going on. While Booker’s cough wasn’t horrible, it was clearly worse the next day and he didn’t feel good.

Worry or not?

There are many different causes for dog coughing, some are concerns, others not as much.

Don’t worry: If your dog coughs occasionally, there’s no need to be concerned. Like us, their throats can get dry or irritated. Or there may be an obvious trigger – a dog that always pulls on leash may cough. It may be time to change that collar for a harness away from his/her throat before any damage is done. Some people will also describe reverse sneezing as a coughing sound.

Worry a little: Coughs may also be caused by infections, including canine flu and kennel cough. A viral infection has to run its course, so supportive care is called for. A bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics.

Worry: Coughing can also be caused by heartworm infestation, collapsing trachea, laryngeal paralysis, or heart disease. Which is why a visit to the vet is called for if you see no improvement in a day or two.

On the road to recovery

Booker feels better and is back to being his normal self. We’re hoping he’ll be back at “school” next week. Mostly because he’s a non-stop dog. After class, he comes home and takes a nap. We love that.

Sick dogs – the downside to having a pack

1 Reply

We always say that two dogs is better than one. There are lots of advantages (dogs learn from each other, keep each other company, play together, etc.). The only downside is when a virus rampages there’s a houseful of sick dogs. They drop like dominoes, one by one.

Cue the spew

It happened to us last November. Torque was the first to fall prey to whatever plague it was that turned our house into a spew festival. Unsavory, unmentionable, unattractive, and unaromatic secretions were coming out of every opening. And he was just the first sick dog.

Torque was a sick dogThey fell, one by one, prey to the vicious little bug that crept in. Next it was Tango, then Booker. We were hoping, when Teddy seemed healthy after a week, that the onslaught was over. No such luck. He resisted like a trooper, but succumbed in the end.

Why are we revisiting this unpleasantness? Because we were afraid (and are still somewhat worried) that it was about to start again. Last Friday was the last time Torque kept a meal down. Sometimes we’d see it again almost instantaneously. Other times, hours would pass.

Sick dogs – time to visit the vet

By Monday, we figured it was time to see the veterinarian. After a couple of days, dogs, like people, can get dehydrated, so we wanted to make sure that wasn’t happening. It wasn’t an urgent situation (Blue Pearl lists the symptoms that would require an emergency vet visit.) But in our case, it obviously wasn’t going to resolve on its own.

Worrywart that she is, Hope started imagining all of the horrible things that it could be: obstruction, ulcer, or (heaven forfend) a repeat appearance of the spew virus that ruined last November. That would be particularly alarming with a new puppy in the house. (Have you seen Fran’s Simon on social media? He’s a little joy!)

Our vet is an old-fashioned, calm, go slow, don’t-panic kind of person. She’s definitely a hands-on-the-dog vet, and since she’s know all of ours since they were pups, she knows when they’re not normal and we have sick dogs.

Inquiring minds want to know

So – while she’s examining all of Torque’s bits, Hope’s getting the inquisition:

When did it start?

Did you see him eat anything unusual?

Is anything missing? (This one was specifically directed – about 15 or more years ago, our Razzmatazz (Brussels Griffon)  ate one of Hope’s shoe insoles. She never missed it.)

Has there been a change in his food?

Is the schedule different?

Is it a new batch of food?

When does he throw up – right after he eats, or later?

What does it look like? Do you recognize bits of food?

Does it smell like food or sour?

Is he acting normally?

Playful?

Sleepy?

Grumpy?

Any coughing or sneezing? (Running out of Snow White’s dwarfs now.)

When did he poop last? Was it normal?

Has he tried to poop and nothing happened?

Is he drinking water? More or less than usual?

And every single question gives the vet a little more information about my sick dog.

Take note of changes

We’re hopeful that it was just a rather severe tummy upset. From her exam and our answers, the vet didn’t think it was an obstruction. Torque’s treatment is a bland diet for a few days, and a couple of medications to get him back on track. After two days (knocking madly on wood), he seems better. And there are no other sick dogs in the house (knocking more!).

You might ask why we’re trampling over your delicate sensibilities to go over all this. Because all those questions are things that every dog owner should pay attention to. When your dog is out of sorts, or sick, we need to notice differences. That information could help our sick dogs get well.