My dog's dry hacking cough persists after vet visit. Should I worry?

I think it's a good idea to get Precious checked out again if the coughing is returning. Sometimes it's an infection and other times it persistent inflammation. The doctor may recommend a medication to break up mucus and/or decrease inflammation. Until you get her into the vet, make her drinking water tepid and avoid excessive activity that will cause her to bark a lot of pant. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If your dog is coughing, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian for an exam and chest x-rays at their next available appointment. She could have pneumonia, asthma, or something such as heart disease that is causing her to cough. It is important to determine why a dog is coughing before suppressing the cough, as this could worsen something like pneumonia or heart disease, which require medications such as antibiotics or diuretics, respectively. Please do not give anything like cough syrup to her, as these can contain chemicals that are toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Cody. Dry hacking/coughing can be caused by many things and it's hard to answer this without being able to ask you questions since the history is very important when trying to figure out why something is happening. Like if you said he was boarded, groomed, went to doggie daycare, was around strange dogs recently, I would then be thinking about kennel cough. Coughing has many causes including kennel cough, infection, inflammation, allergies, heartworm disease, parasites, laryngitis, bronchitis, irritation from a foreign body or something he ate, irritants in the air, toxin exposure, among many other causes. I always suggest that if something is wrong and it persists, worsens, or other signs develop, always have your pet checked out immediately by your veterinarian. They can get a good history, perform a physical exam, and then advise you on diagnostics/treatment. Possible tests could include fecal/blood/urine tests and x-rays of the chest and upper airway. Once a diagnosis is made or suspected, a sound treatment plan can be discussed and implemented. Good luck and I hope Cody recovers from this soon.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Jackie. Many states right now are experiencing outbreaks of respiratory problems in dogs. All of us in the profession are always worried about canine flu outbreaks. I would advise that if the condition worsens or doesn't resolve, have your veterinarian evaluate Jackie. There are many causes of coughing and having a thorough history would help narrow that down. Of course kennel cough, allergies, things in the air that are irritants, etc are all possible including many others. Again, with everything going on now across the United States, I would advise a trip to your vet's office with her. They can evaluate her and then advise some treatment or diagnostic testing to screen for a cause. They may advise fecal tests, blood tests, x-rays, or other tests to determine a cause. Better to be safe in this case. Good luck with Jackie.

This sounds like kennel cough. If she’s been around other dogs a few days ago she may have gotten this from them. Usually if you keep her quiet and she continues eating and drinking she should get over this without treatment in a week or so. If the coughing worsens or she stops eating or becomes lethargic then bring her in for an exam and treatment. They will probably give her antibiotics and perhaps something to stop the coughing. If it’s kennel cough she could be contagious so please keep her away from other dogs until she’s better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Although there are many causes of coughing (heart disease, collapsing trachea, pneumonia, etc.), the most likely cause for the coughing given Emmie's history is 'Kennel Cough' or Infectious tracheitis. This is a viral infection that causes irritation in the trachea and a cough. It can become very severe such that the coughing prevents eating/sleeping and leads to weight loss and depression. If the coughing is severe you can ask your vet about anti-tussives (anti-cough medication). Sometimes this infection leads to a secondary bacterial infection, and the cough becomes 'wet' and at this stage antiboitics are required. I recommend a visit to your vet, x-rays might be required depending on how the lungs sound when your vet listens to the chest. Best of luck with Emmie.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Poochie. Poor girl. There could be a couple of things going on with her causing this cough. It could be a respiratory infection, it could be a collapsing trachea, it could be kennel cough, or it could be something more serious like heart disease. I'd have her seen by a vet in the morning for this problem. The vet can diagnose what is causing it, and can treat her. I hope this helps!