My dog is sick, gagging, wheezing after eating. When should I worry?

Wheezing and gagging can be a sign of allergies, respiratory disease, or occasionally a sign that there is something stuck in the nasal passages or throat. I'm not sure how these symptoms would be related to an eye infection, unless your dog actually had allergic conjunctivitis and not an infection in his eye. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian for a physical exam: if you can take a video of the wheeze/gag to bring with you it could help with the diagnosis.

He likely aspirated some food. If it's just one day of hacking, then it's OK to wait and see if it clears in the next day or two. However, we always worry about aspiration pneumonia, which can be more serious. If the hacking persists for more than two days and is not getting better, then it's best to take him to the vet. If your dog has always done this, then I would not be too worried about a condition causing him to gag when eating. However, if this gagging is recent (within the last year), then I would get him checked-out by a vet. I'm particularly concerned about laryngeal paralysis, which can happen in older dogs and cause them to aspirate their food and water. I hope that helps and Anubis gets better soon.

Poor Max! I agree that this sounds as if he has something either lodged in his mouth (typically the roof of the mouth) or further down his respiratory tract. Open his mouth carefully and look to see if you can visualize anything there first. If you don't see anything and he continues this behavior for more than an hour or so, then it's time to get him examined by your local vet. If he continues to comit uncontrollably (once or more an hour), then he needs to go to the ER vet right away! At that point, radiographs taken of his upper airway would be the ideal diagnostic test to finding out what is truly going on there, and what specific treatment or intervention is needed to help poor Max out and get him some relief right away.

Difficulty breathing (coughing, wheezing) is always something that you should get checked out right away. Nugget may have asthma, or a more serious problem like heart disease. I would have her seen today so that the cause of these concerning signs can be determined.

It sounds like Romeo has a few different issues going on - watery eyes, possible fever, vomiting or gagging. This doesn't point to any particular disease, but definitely makes me want to have him go in to the vet for evaluation. He likely needs an exam and maybe blood work and x-rays to get a better idea of what is going on. Good luck!

I'd be worried because this can be a sign of something serious like heart disease. I'd have Skippu seen by a vet today for a physical exam, geriatric blood work, a urinalysis, and possibly chest x-rays. Based on the results of those tests, the vet can make a diagnosis and discuss what treatment options are available. I hope this 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!