Older dachshund coughing after surgery: Is it from the breathing tube?

You are correct that intubation can exacerbate (but not cause) tracheal collapse. However, we frequently see tracheal irritation after intubation which commonly causes coughing and slowly improves after 24-48 hours. We do sometimes recommend a cough suppressant for dogs if they are having excessive coughing after intubation. I have included a link below to tracheal collapse. If Dougie is having trouble breathing, please seek medical attention immediately. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1527 Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

IT is a possibility, although usually there is no long term effect and the symptoms seems to disappear within a few days to a few weeks. if it happens just with food and doesn't seem to bother him otherwise, i would not worry too much about it at the moment.

Hi. Yes it is normal to havevsime coughing or irritation there after an endotraceal tube is used. If it continues beyond 3-5 days, or if there are also other signs, I would call your veterinarian first thing in the morning.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Matilda! I am not familiar with using a tube in the nose to deliver oxygen and anesthetic gas for dentals or surgery. We use endotracheal tubes down their throats for this. It sounds like Matilda has irritation from the tube most likely or she has an infection. Just make sure she is breathing normally to be sure her heart and lungs are ok. If she has a history of a heart murmur a recheck with your Vet may be the best thing. Irritation from the tracheal tube should resolve on it's own in a week, getting better each day. If she has kennel cough she may need an antibiotic or something to help with the cough. I recommend calling your Vet today to discuss her symptoms and see if they can prescribe something to give her some relief that you can pick it up. They may want to see her first though. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Congratulations on your new addition! When a dog is spayed, we put a tube down their throat to help them breathe under anesthesia which can sometimes cause irritation. That might be responsible for the mild snoring. But usually a cough that is associated with that tube will start right away (not 5 days later). You didn't mention where Juniper came from, but if she was recently adopted from a shelter, she certainly could have developed an upper respiratory infection from the shelter. Often these upper respiratory infections are viral, but they can develop secondary bacterial infections as well. If Juniper seems lethargic (more tired than normal), is developing discharge from her nose, does not want to eat, or her cough is getting worse, then I would definitely recommend having your veterinarian examine her. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. After being intubated, sometimes the tube placed in the airway can cause irritation leading to a cough or other abnormal breathing sounds. What you are describing sounds almost as if Token has an excessive soft palate causing the snoring sound. I would recommend taking him back to the veterinarian that performed the dental cleaning and having him / her examine Token so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would consider having x-rays taken of the airway to ensure that everything is normal. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It depends on how long ago the surgery was. Typically a cough just after anesthesia can be associated with irritation to the trachea from the tracheal tube. Coughing several days after could be associated with aspiration pneumonia, or an upper respiratory virus. Also other causes such as heartworm disease, parasites, and asthma can also cause cough. If it has been going on for longer than 2-3 days after surgery or if he is acting sick at all then he should be seen by a veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.