Why does my dog choke and re-chew tiny treats but not larger kibble?

If Stella is eating her treats too fast, that could be causing the choking. Try giving her treats in smaller pieces, not giving her another piece until she ate the previous piece. Keep an eye on her for now with this behavior, and offer her some water. Her throat may be irritated from choking. If this behavior continues or she starts having trouble breathing, have her seen by a vet immediately. Best of luck.

Hi there! It is possible that she choke up on the treat just because it was too big or just because she ate it too fast. To be sure, it is always best to feed them treats that are not too big for their size as choking is always possible. I would ensure that they are small enough for her. I am sure you take great care of her and she will be just fine. This happens more commonly than you'd think. Have a good one! Best of luck with Precious!

If Bruno is swallowing his treats rather than chewing them, you may want to consider offering something a little smaller and more easily digestible. I advise this in an attempt to make Bruno avoid swallowing something that is too large to pass through the GI tract. When this happens and something is unable to pass through the stomach, objects sometimes require surgical removal. Even worse is when an object can pass through the stomach but gets caught within the intestines. There is nothing wrong with offering treats to Bruno. But as I said, reduce the size and toughness for the time being until he gets a little bit older.

Many dogs don’t chew treats or kibble. As long as she’s not having a problem then it’s nothing to be overly concerned about. I would try a variety of tiny treats, soft and hard to see if one works better so she doesn’t do this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Stella.

Oli may be eating to fast. You can try purchasing a puzzle feeder dish (they are available on Amazon.com) with ridges in it that slow down eating and drinking if used as food and water bowls. If this doesn’t resolve the coughing/gagging, and he coughs/gags with canned puppy food as well, it is possible that he may have a condition called megaesophagus where the food doesn’t move down his esophagus normally. Your vet can take X-rays of his neck/chest to diagnose this if slowing down his eating/feeding him small amounts at a time or trying canned food as well does not help. Good luck! He must be adorable!!!

I think it is unlikely that he has treat stuck in his throat. This happens very, very rarely and honestly, in 25 years I have never seen this happen. It would only really happen if there was a motility disorder with his esophagus. The esophagus could be irritated if the treat went down "sideways", sure, but based on his age and your description of the clinical signs, my best guess is that he has kennel cough. It is probably just coincidence that the coughing episodes started with the treat ingestion. I suggest you get him to your vet for an exam. If he has kennel cough he is contagious to other dogs. ( https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/kennel-cough/ )

Small breed dogs can sometimes have an issues with the trachea, and if they drink too quickly it can sometimes cause them to choke and sputter. It is a good idea, however, to schedule a vet check if you haven't already to make sure there isn't a more serious cause behind it. The licking and chewing at air could be a stress response, however if he is choking and gagging while doing this, there may be something else going on that should be checked out by your vet.