My dog is coughing and vomiting. Is something stuck in his throat?

He could indeed have something stuck in his throat I strongly recommend getting him in to see your vet immediately. It sounds like he's trying to move whatever is stuck and not having much success. He needs to be seen before he hurts himself.

There could be several reasons why your dog is [coughing](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/coughing-1/). He could very well have something stuck in his throat or is trying to vomit something up and can't and will need medical intervention. If the symptoms continue, he needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. If you know your dog has ingested something and is indeed [choking](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-do-if-you-think-your-dog-is-choking), you can perform the Heimlich maneuver if you feel comfortable doing so. A dog who is choking should also be taken to a veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately. A dog may also be coughing as a result of a viral respiratory infection, like canine parainfluenza, canine adenovirus, or [kennel cough](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/kennel-cough). The most common symptoms of viral infections in dogs can include lethargy, decreased appetite, coughing, exercise intolerance and an increased breathing rate. If you believe your is showing any of these symptoms in addition to coughing, it is important for him to be evaluated by a veterinarian. Finally, a condition known as "reverse sneezing" might also sound like a cough and can be alarming for pet parents to witness. Reverse sneezing is very common in pets and is usually not a cause for concern. When a dog reverse sneezes, it will often pull its head back and inhale forcefully through the nose and mouth, making a cough-like sound. It is thought to have an [allergic](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/canine-allergies/) component as the back portion of the nasal passages work to expel an irritant.

Poor Max! I agree that this sounds as if he has something either lodged in his mouth (typically the roof of the mouth) or further down his respiratory tract. Open his mouth carefully and look to see if you can visualize anything there first. If you don't see anything and he continues this behavior for more than an hour or so, then it's time to get him examined by your local vet. If he continues to comit uncontrollably (once or more an hour), then he needs to go to the ER vet right away! At that point, radiographs taken of his upper airway would be the ideal diagnostic test to finding out what is truly going on there, and what specific treatment or intervention is needed to help poor Max out and get him some relief right away.

It sounds like Zoey may have an upper respiratory infection such as kennel cough. This is a very contagious disease and she may have picked it up while walking outside, or when sniffing another dog. This is usually a self-limiting disease and will go away by itself within 4 weeks. If she gets a purulent discharge (nose and/or eyes), has trouble breathing or coughs more than a couple of times a day, you need to take her to the vet for an exam, antibiotics and cough medicine.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If he inhaled grass blades in his nose, this could contribute to the signs you are seeing. He may also have some grass or another foreign object lodged in his esophagus. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Chuck so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I wouldn't wait too long because if there is something stuck and it goes unaddressed, it could potentially become a serious problem. 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.

Puppies are notorious for swallowing anything that crosses their path. They don't have hands, so they explore everything with their mouths. He may have swallowed something that is stuck, there may even be a piece of string looped around the base of his tongue. Hopefully your vet did a thorough oral examination, including lifting the tongue in order to see underneath. This area is very hard to see and string can hide there very easily. It could be a long human hair that is bothering him. If you find string, thread or hair in his mouth that goes down his throat, DO NOT PULL IT. Same goes for any you may see as he tries to defecate. NEVER pull on any linear foreign body. It could be looped around some soft tissue out of sight and you will cause more damage. Any stringlike material caught around the tongue should be cut with a pair of safety scissors and allowed to go on down. If this happens, let your vet know what is going on and if he develops any other symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, get him back in to see your vet right away.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds like Rocco has quite the cough if he is vomiting as well. This could be an infection such as kennel cough or pneumonia. I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The veterinarian may suggest having chest x-rays done to evaluate the lungs. 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.