My dog coughed and has weak bark after leash pull. Vet or wait?

He probably has some laryngitis. I suggest you start walking him with a harness instead of a collar. He could be damaging his trachea (windpipe) by too much pulling. The laryngitis should resolve on it's own with no treatment. If it does not, in about a week, then he should see your vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That could definitely be because of the attack. The main reason dog fights or dog attacks are so concerning especially when the other dog is a small dog is that there is usually more trauma inflicted than what you can see on the outside. For that reason, I highly recommend that you check in with a veterinarian who can examine her to look for other possible traumatic lesions that may need therapy. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Precious! There are many reasons for coughing: kennel cough, allergies, pneumonia, heart failure or cancer. Since it has only been a few days it is ok to give her more time. Kennel cough takes 2 weeks to resolve. If the cough worsens or hasn’t resolved in 2 weeks then I recommend a recheck and chest X-rays. I wish you the best!

This can be caused by kennel cough/bordetella infection, pulling on the leash which puts pressure on the trachea, other infection, allergies, among a few other things. I would recommend starting to use a harness instead of a collar when you go on walks. Some dogs can get significant tracheal irritation from only a couple pulls on a collar and leash. If you try this a few times and Effie is still coughing then she may need to be checked over by a vet. If the coughing continues for 24 hours, she should be seen soon.

It sounds like your dog may have a collapsing trachea causing the cough. It would be a good idea to use a harness instead of a collar. Your vet can also prescribe medications to help if the condition persists or becomes more frequent. A bronchodilator and cough suppressant may help.

Sorry to hear that Bruno's lost his bark. A change in barking sound or a loss of bark can be associated with a few different conditions. While a collapsing trachea or an upper respiratory infection are certain possibilities, they are not the most common cause for this symptom. There is a condition known as laryngeal paralysis that is known to cause this symptom quite frequently. Regardless of what the cause is, it is unlikely to resolve on its own without some treatment. You should take Bruno into the vet for a physical exam and some diagnostic imaging. They will be able to tell you whether or not one of the above mentioned conditions is causing Bruno's current issues. Hope this helps!

Since it's resolving on it's own without treatment, I'd recommend just continuing to monitor things and take her to her vet if she starts to get worse again. She may have just had a mild cold or kennel cough, but it sounds like she's well on the mend.