My dog coughs, hacks, and gags after playing. What's causing it?

There are quite a few things that can cause a cough like this. Some common possibilities would include allergies, chronic bronchitis, a collapsing trachea, or heart disease. If the cough has been going on for a while, I would recommend discussing options for further work-up with your vet to help determine what is causing it. Diagnostic testing such as general blood work (a CBC and chemistry panel), chest x-rays, and heartworm testing would all be helpful, if these tests haven't been done already.

Since it has been several weeks with no improvement, Mocha should be physically examined by your veterinarian for a complete workup. Chest x-rays should be done to assess the lungs and heart. If indicated, an echocardiogram can be done to further assess cardiac architecture and function. Blood and fecal samples can be submitted to test for parasites. A sputum sample can also be submitted to test for infection (bacterial or fungal). Any of these conditions can be the underlying cause for the symptoms described. Any treatment will depend on the diagnosis.

It is possible he has a sensitive trachea or a condition called tracheal collapse, which is when the trachea briefly narrows in diameter when the pet gets excited or plays. If he is otherwise doing well, then you can monitor him for now for any progressive symptoms. If he starts coughing throughout the day, then a vet visit is needed for further evaluation and x-rays to confirm this suspected diagnosis and to then start treatment. Otherwise he should be fine if he is only doing this after playing with the other dog. Just keep him play time to a moderate level (20-30 mins) to avoid excessive coughing. I hope that Gizmo does well here moving forward. Best wishes and take care!

I hate to hear your pet is coughing so much. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know the underlying cause of the coughing without a physical exam and possible radiographs. Pets can cough due to allergies, parasites, collapsing trachea, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, infections or something stuck in the throat. Treatment is different for each of these conditions. I recommend to have your pet examined by again the veterinarian. if a treatment doesn't work, it usually means the true cause of the coughing has not been discovered. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

There could be many different reasons for a cough. I would video tape the cough since certain coughs can indicate certain things. Is it from a collapsing trachea or maybe a reverse sneeze. I would recommend chest xrays first to rule out lung pathology also. I would recommend asking your veterinarian if he has a heart murmur. To rule out a heart condition he would need to see a cardiologist. If he has a murmur I would strongly recommend a Cardiologist. If no heart murmur he can still have heart disease and a cardiologist would be indicated just to state it is not heart-related. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Charlie. There are a lot of different causes for coughing. He could have a severe upper respiratory infection/kennel cough, heart disease or even pneumonia. The yelping when being picked up is likely unrelated but could be due to him hurting somewhere in his back or abdomen. Both of these problems call for an exam by your vet in order to listen to his heart and lungs and also palpating his back, abdomen and other joints to find out why exactly he is helping. I would try to video the cough to help the vet make a proper diagnosis. Your vet will be able to take X-rays if needed and also get him started on the proper meds to help him feel better. They will also be able to prescribe something for the cough to help everyone rest a little better at night. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better really soon !

If the age you put in, 20, is really correct I would say that you should have her evaluated for cardiorespiratory disease. Mitral valve disease in small dogs is extremely common particularly at an older age. Coughing is often the first sign of heart disease that we see. Another structural issue that occurs in smaller breed dogs is called a collapsing trachea. A chest x-ray should be considered strongly regardless of the veterinarian's physical exam findings. The consumption of grass is often associated with GI upset or nutritional deficiencies. Depending on what the condition is, medications that might be considered are bronchodilators, antibiotics, steroids, and diuretics. More information will be required however before commencing any therapy. Hope this helps.