My dog is dry heaving and coughing, but nothing comes out. Is he okay?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tobi. The coughing/gagging sound you described can be a sign of a respiratory tract infection. Infected dogs can also cough up a white foamy material. If this continues, he will need to see a veterinarian. If he does have an infection, antibiotics may be necessary. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Roxxi. I do recommend that she sees a veterinarian if her symptoms do not resolve soon. What you described can be consistent with an upper respiratory tract infection. The dog will commonly cough, gag and may bring up a white foamy material. If she is not getting better, the veterinarian may need to prescribe an antibiotic. If she is not eating/drinking or acting sick, then I recommend that she be seen today. In the meantime, keep her at home as she may be contagious to other dogs. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gucci. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian as he may have an upper respiratory tract infection. It is characterized by a hacking gagging cough that may produce a white foamy material. If this is the case, he will likely need an antibiotic. Be sure to keep him home and away from other dogs as he may be contagious. I hope this information helps!

If Mack has a habit of eating things that are not food, that could be causing the coughing, gagging, and vomiting. He may have eaten something that has upset his stomach. I do think he needs to see a vet for this, and I think it would be best if you take him into the vet first thing in the morning. X-rays are a good idea to see if there is anything in his stomach that could be causing this. I hope this helps!

It sounds like Maximus may have a respiratory infection such as kennel cough, which often causes coughing and gagging without anything coming up. Or, he could be feeling nauseous and trying to vomit - if his stomach is empty, sometimes this gagging can be non-productive. If he is acting normal otherwise and this problem just started today, you can try withholding food for the rest of the day and offering a small amount of plain boiled chicken and rice this evening to help settle his stomach. If this doesn't help, or if he continues to have repeated episodes of coughing or gagging throughout the day, then I would recommend having him examined by a vet - he/she can determine whether Maximus has a respiratory infection or a stomach problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

If Brody exhibits this gagging and retching behavior consistently (without stopping) then I would recommend taking him in to be examined by your veterinarian. If there is something stuck in the throat or the back of the mouth the behavior will be continuous until whatever is stuck is removed. If this behavior is only intermittent and/or only occurred the one time then I would not be too concerned. Brody could have swallowed something wrong or could be suffering from allergies or the beginning of a respiratory infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jackey. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. I am concerned that he has developed an upper respiratory tract infection. In this case, affected dogs will cough and gag up a white foamy material. If this is his problem, he will likely need oral antibiotics. I hope this information!