Why is my dog hacking and chewing wood? Should I be concerned?

She may indeed have a wood chip lodged in her mouth or throat somewhere but since she is drinking and eating without problem I think there may be another cause for the gagging and coughing, Your dog may be suffering from kennel cough or another upper respiratory condition which also causes this kind of coughing and gagging. or she may have an infection in her throat. If the coughing/gagging does not subside by tomorrow take Leica to your vet for an exam.

I am so sorry about Zelda’s cough. It is possible a piece of bark has become lodged in her throat, or that the chewing merely inflamed her throat causing a cough. I would monitor her closely for the next few hours, offer her only water and keep her calm. If the cough worsens, she seems in pain or distressed I would take her to the vet immediately. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Hacking/coughing that is continuous and in multiple dogs in one house is more likely to be infectious than anything else. I would be concerned about kennel cough. I would recommend having them seen by your vet. Depending on what your vet hears in the lungs/throat, they might give a cough suppressant, and might give antibiotics. Eating the carpet could be because they are irritated and think the carpet will help the way grass does (although this is unusual), or maybe they are stressed and are taking it out on the carpet. The other possibility is that something yummy was spilled on the carpet. I would clean the carpet well, keep them away from the carpet, and bring the dogs to your vet. Best of luck!

Hello! I would recommend taking Mercy into the vet to be checked. Excessive hacking isn't a normal behavior. Sometimes dogs that chew on sticks can get sharp pieces stuck in their tonsils, which gives them a constantly scratchy throat. It could be that the hacking is actually a cough and a sign of an respiratory problem, such as bronchitis. Some dogs also experience acid-reflux, which can cause hacking. Your vet can perform a physical exam and listen for signs of inflammation in her lungs, and may recommend some sedation for a thorough oral examination to ensure she doesn't have anything stuck in the back of her throat. I would recommend trying to get video of her hacking behavior prior to visiting the vet, as this will greatly help them differentiate the cause. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Sounds like your dog did one of the following: inhaled something into his lungs, got something stuck in his esophagus, or ingested something that scraped up the esophagus on the way down causing irritation and pain. In order to differentiate between the three of these possibility, a physical exam and x-rays would be needed. If you feel Meeko is stable (based on his continued appetite and thirst I would say he most probably is), it wouldn't hurt to see if this is something that will resolve on its own in the next 24 hours. If something just scratch the lining of the esophagus it is going to be a little painful and inflamed for the next day or two. If you do decide to take him into the vet, he would likely benefit from a anti-inflammatory and/or pain medication to alleviate any discomfort he may be feeling. Hope this makes sense.

Bear could have an upper respiratory infection or kennel cough that is causing his coughing and hacking. Heart disease, bronchitis and allergies are a few other potential causes of a cough. If he is breathing hard and unable to rest I would recommend seeing an emergency vet tonight. Otherwise as long as he continues to eat and act normal otherwise you could wait to see your vet during regular hours.

She may have a cold or kennel cough. They get this from other dogs and it causes a lot of coughing and often some nasal discharge. When dogs cough they also sometimes vomit a small amount as a result so I'm not overly concerned about the vomiting if Rainey is otherwise normal. Keep her quiet to reduce the coughing, and away from other dogs as this can be infectious. She should be better in a few days to a weeek or so. It also could be due to a throat irritation from eating the bark and other items. Same thing though, with time this should resolve on its own. If she should get worse and stops eating or starts more vomiting then it's time for a veterinary exam and treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rainey.