My dog coughs deeply or sneezes when drinking water. Is this normal?

A cough associated with drinking can be a sign of dysfunction of the nerves that affect the larynx and the vocal cords. There are many other potential causes of a cough ranging from bronchitis to heart disease. I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian for a physical exam. X-rays might be recommended as a first step.

Older dogs can get some functional weakness around the throat, causing water to leak during swallowing even though everything looks healthy. Acupuncture and chiropractic care can help and i recommend raising her water bowl to elbow height

Hello, sorry to hear about Maci. This does not necessarily seem to be associated with a specific issue. One thing to consider is that she could have been born with a congenital abnormality such as an abnormal esophagus. It could be much more simple such as Maci drinking water too quickly. Reason being is that she only does this with water and not with anything she ingests. If she continues to do this, then she should be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if there are any abnormalities. In the interim, you should raise her water and food bowls so that gravity can help ingest move in the right direction. Feed her small frequent meals over larger meals. Hope this helps and best of luck.

This does not sound like a breed-specific issue or a normal behavior. It sounds like Chopi is either drinking his water too quickly / too vigorously, or he is having trouble swallowing it for one reason or another. Depending on how often this is occurring, this might be something worth having checked out by you veterinarian. There are definitely structural issues in the mouth, esophagus, and upper respiratory tract that can result in difficulty swallowing. If it is a behavioral issue / OCD resulting in overly quick water consumption, there are device you can obtain that attempt to limit how quickly your dog laps up the liquid. You can also physically limit how much he drinks by simply moving the bowl away manually. I don't think this is something that you need to be running off to the vet about right away, but definitely something that is worth continuing to monitor for any worsening or changes. Hope this helps!

Yes, she may be getting some water in her nose or is swallowing too quickly which could cause some coughing. I recommend trying a raised feed and water station to see if that helps the coughing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Channing.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding TomToe. He may actually have acquired an upper respiratory tract infection. Most dogs will exhibit coughing, but a few will only reverse sneeze. Allergies can trigger this problem as well. I would recommend that he sees his veterinarian tomorrow to be evaluated. He may require an antibiotic. Encourage him to drink as best you can so that he does not become dehydrated. I hope this information helps!

Hazel could have tracheal irritation from the collar or prong collar. Some dogs have more sensitive tracheas than others and some dogs have genetically smaller or collapsing tracheas that are predisposed to problems. However, I would also be concerned Hazel may have picked up a bacterial or viral infection that is causing her to cough. I would recommend taking her in to your vet to have them evaluate her lungs and throat to see if she needs any medication or potentially switch her to a harness instead of a collar.