My dog is hacking nonstop. Is it a serious cough needing a vet?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The 'hacking' maybe secondary to a cough. A cough be due to numerous causes, these include infections (viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoal), inhaled irritants/chemicals, heart problems, primary inflammation (bronchitis), allergies, and even cancer, amongst others. There is no way you can treat a cough at home. The vomiting could be induced after the coughing episodes or there could be something causing the vomiting such as gastroenteritis or other GI or non GI causes. IN a big dog such as Buddy, something to worry about would with noproductive wretching and 'vomiting' would be Gastric DIlatation and Volvulus (GDV). That is where the stomach flips upon itself and fills with gas and fluid. This is a surgical emergency and could be fatal if not rapidly diagnosed and treated. You should bring Buddy to a veterinarian for evaluation.

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!

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Precious! There are many reasons for coughing: kennel cough, allergies, pneumonia, heart failure or cancer. Since it has only been a few days it is ok to give her more time. Kennel cough takes 2 weeks to resolve. If the cough worsens or hasn’t resolved in 2 weeks then I recommend a recheck and chest X-rays. I wish you the best!

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.

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! Excellent job going ahead and scheduling a vet visit. While from what you describe does not sound urgent there are diseases that still require evaluation by a veterinarian and possibly diagnostics/treatment. One example is Kennel Cough. These dogs usually have a history of being around a lot of other dogs (e.g. dog parks, boarding facilities) and usually causes a dry, hacking cough. But other possible things like bronchitis, collapsing trachea, pneumonia, or heart issues require x-ray to diagnose. It sounds as though your pets attitude is good, he has good energy and is eating and drinking well! These are all good signs and reasons that I would not necessarily run to the emergency room. However, if you feel as though he is declining in any way between now and your appointment you should absolutely take him in sooner rather than later. Hopefully this information is helpful and your pet gets better soon!