Why is my dog coughing and spitting phlegm? Is it kennel cough?

Poor guy. If the coughing is lasting more than 12-24 hrs, then there is a good chance Toby has a bit of an upper respiratory infection (i.e. Kennel cough). I would highly recommend taking him in to your local vet to get treatment, which usually consists of a short course of antibiotics to clear things up. Pet vaccinated with the Bordetella vaccine once every 6-12 months are protected up to 87% from contracting URI's, so this would be best to do once Tobby is feeling better. : ) I hope that your fur baby feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Dory! There are a few things that come to mind for causes of Dory's symptoms: the more common reason is kennel cough, which is a tracheal cough from bacterial or viral infections. The cough is "goose honk" like and is worse at night and with activity. The dog usually eats and drinks. The cough can trigger the gag reflex which causes the dog to make a gagging sound and motion that sometimes is productive. Dogs can get kennel cough from boarding, grooming, doggie day care, dog parks, playing with other dogs or even from us if we were around a coughing dog. The other possibility is she ate something that irritated her esophagus like a raw hide. I would have her seen by your Vet Wednesday. Most vets treat kennel cough with antibiotics and anti-cough medication. It usually resolves with in 2 weeks. I wish you and Dory the best!

I'm sorry to hear Arlo is having issues with coughing. While there can be multiple causes for the coughing you are seeing, I would be concerned that he contacted an upper respiratory infection such as kennel cough. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his coughing, have any necessary testing done (X-rays) and get started on any treatment if needed (antibiotics, cough suppressant). Good luck!

Poor Diesel. The type of gagging and coughing makes me worry about an upper respiratory infection. Unfortunately, they do not have to be around any type of other animals or board facilities to contract this. Since he is starting to become lethargic, I would go ahead and try to get him in to see the vet. The vet will be able to listen to his heart and lungs to ensure everything sounds okay. They will also be able to determine if this is just upper respiratory or if his heart could be involved or if this has progressed to a pneumonia. They will be able to get him started on the proper meds to make him feel better. I hope this helps!

This sounds like he may have an upper respiratory condition. This could be something as common as kennel cough, especially if you take Bakster to dog parks or if he has contact with other dogs. Usually, kennel cough is self-limiting, ie goes away within 3-4 weeks without treatment. It is caused by a number of different virusesw and bacteria, the most well-known being Bordetella bronchiseptica. Treatment is only necessary if the coughing get s excessive, and/or Bakster gets a fever or otherwise appears ill. You should take Bakster to a vet for an exam if he shows any signs of breathing problems, lethargy, not eating and/or drinking. Treatment for upper respiratory disease consists of cough medicine and antibiotics if indicated.

This is likely an upper respiratory infection called Kennel Cough, this usually resolves within 2 weeks without treatment, but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.

Kennel cough, or Bordetella, is a common upper respiratory pathogen that is very contagious between dogs, and usually dogs have a loud goose-honk cough, sometimes ending in coughing up a bit of phlegm. This could be going on with your dogs. Don't worry, it isn't life-threatening, but I usually put these dogs on an antitussive to help alleviate the cough and sometimes an antibiotic. If you don't take them to a vet, the cough should go away in a week or two, but make sure you don't let them socialize with other dogs as they will spread it around.