Why are my dogs eating carpet and gagging? Is it kennel cough?

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Dory! There are a few things that come to mind for causes of Dory's symptoms: the more common reason is kennel cough, which is a tracheal cough from bacterial or viral infections. The cough is "goose honk" like and is worse at night and with activity. The dog usually eats and drinks. The cough can trigger the gag reflex which causes the dog to make a gagging sound and motion that sometimes is productive. Dogs can get kennel cough from boarding, grooming, doggie day care, dog parks, playing with other dogs or even from us if we were around a coughing dog. The other possibility is she ate something that irritated her esophagus like a raw hide. I would have her seen by your Vet Wednesday. Most vets treat kennel cough with antibiotics and anti-cough medication. It usually resolves with in 2 weeks. I wish you and Dory the best!

Hacking cough can be related to upper airways infection (kennel cough-type infections) or inflammation of the throat from a wound or foreign body. It is possible that Baylle has throat infection and because of that she is coughing a lot. However, she may have a wound from chewing wood, or a piece of grass at the back of her throat which irritates the throat and makes her cough. I would recommend you to take Baylle to your local vet for an appointment. Your vet may suggest to examine her throat under sedation to make sure thare is no foreign material or a wound from chewing wood there.

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.

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.

It's pretty rare that dogs actually get something stuck in the back of the throat. More likely her throat is irritated, or she has an infection like kennel cough. If the cough continues I'd recommend seeing your veterinarian: while it's difficult to see the very back of a dog's throat without sedation, your vet can help determine what is causing the cough.

I'm sorry your dog is having this issue. Kennel cough is typically a dry, almost "honking" cough that can produce a white foamy/mucus substance- they can cough so hard it causes a gag reflex. It usually starts at one time of day and then gets worse and more frequent. Do you have other dogs in your home or neighbor dogs that play with your dog? If so, are they gagging or coughing? Kennel cough is very contagious thus can spread to other dogs in close contact. If you are noticing this, I would contact your vet so they can determine if your dog needs an antibiotic. Some other possibilities for what you are noticing are other respiratory infections, allergies and/or a reverse sneeze or there may be something stuck in your dogs throat (like a grass seed or part of a rawhide chew). Also, some dogs can simply drink too fast especially when it's very hot- this can cause some water to go down "the wrong pipe" and then a gag response. If your dog continues to gag or, especially if the gag becomes more frequent or severe, I would take him back to your vet. Your vet can listen to your dog's lungs for sounds of infection and may want to take a chest X-ray as a next step in working this up. I hope your dog feels better soon!