My dog coughs and swallows. Is she throwing up and hiding it?

Poor Mila Mumu! The most common cause of coughing in a puppy this age would be a respiratory infection such as kennel cough - if this is the problem, it should be easily treatable with antibiotics. The good news is, it's really not possible for her to have heartworm disease at her age - this illness takes a very long time to develop after being infected, so we don't typically see symptoms of it in dogs less than 2-3 years old at minimum. It's good that you're planning to take your pup in to the vet today for an exam. He/she will listen to her heart and lungs, and may recommend chest x-rays or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem. If she does have kennel cough (or something similar), your vet will probably send her home with antibiotics to treat the infection.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Coughing can be a symptom caused by many different things. Heart failure, respiratory infections, collapsing trachea, allergies, etc. Can cause coughing. It best to have a veterinarian examine Aurora to rule out different causes. I would consider having chest x-rays done to assess the chest for disease. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns that you may have.

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.

I'm wondering if she actually has a productive cough - a cough can sound very similar to attempted vomiting in a dog and they will often retch at the end and produce a small amount of white foam. This would go along with the runny nose that you're seeing. You should see your vet - this could be a sign of an upper respiratory infection, an infection like kennel cough, or even pneumonia. Even if she has not been around other dogs and she is the only one showing symptoms at this point an infection is still possible.

It sounds like Dove may be coughing instead of attempting to vomit since she was willing and able to eat a treat. Usually dogs who are nauseous are uninterested in food. A cough could be caused by a viral or bacterial infection like kennel cough, allergy related or due to heart disease or pneumonia. I’d recommend having your vet examine Dove to determine whether or not she might be coughing.

Sometimes a loud productive cough like kennel cough can look really similar to vomiting in dogs do that’s one possibility. Tessie also may have retched once due to nausea if she ate something that she shouldn’t. If it doesn’t happen again I wouldn’t worry about it. If she continues or if she begins to vomit or cough I’d recommend seeing your vet.

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.