My Shih Tzu coughs when excited or barks. Is it serious? Vet needed?

I am sorry to hear that your fur baby is having some coughing that seems to get worse with excitement or exercise. It sounds like your fur baby may have an issue with her trachea (i.e. tracheal collapse) that affects small breed dogs more often and causes coughing during excessive play. This can be easily diagnosed with an x-ray and treated if the condition gets worse or impedes your pets daily activity. It can be helped with medications prescribed by your vet in most cases, so its best to schedule an appt soon. Here is more information on the condition I believe your pet Baby girl has --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951968 Other possible causes for this are an underlying lung condition, or an airway infection. Best wishes with your fur baby and I hope that she feels better soon! Take care.

It could be some tracheal irritation due to dry air or residual congestion from laying down all night. If he isn't coughing all day/night, exhibiting lethargy or does not tire easily then just mention it to your veterinarian during the visit. Your vet will likely listen to the heart and lungs during the exam. Chest xrays may be recommended if indicated by something found on exam. Sparky should have a heartworm test if this is his yearly exam. Heartworm disease can cause also coughing as can various infections.

Poor Chloe! You can put her in a steamy bathroom for five minutes twice a day. Start her on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets as this can help to condition the lining of her trachea. You can also try an over-the-counter antihistamine but you will have to call your regular veterinarian for a recommendation as online veterinarians are prohibited from discussing human medication usage in pets. If the coughing continues beyond two days or if it gets worse, have her examined by the veterinarian.

It could be Heidi has a collapsing trachea. This can be common in toy breed dogs, and you see coughing when they are excited. It could also be due to heart disease. I'd take her into the vet tomorrow to get this checked out. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very common for Shih tzus to have small nasal openings. Sometimes they grow as the puppy grows and sometimes they need cosmetic surgery to open the nostrils. This typically causes a lot of sneezing. I would worry the coughing could be something else, like Kennel Cough. I recommend discussing this with Coco's vet so they can see the size of her nose and listen to her lungs. Good luck and kisses to your new baby!

I always think a cough is worth evaluating. Some reasons are more benign than others, but it is always a good idea to know why your dog is coughing so you can be aware of how it may progress and prevent future problems. The first step is to have your veterinarian examine Scooter and take x-rays of his chest. That will evaluate his trachea for tracheal collapse (https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1527), his lungs for evidence of bronchitis (https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3151), his heart for evidence of heart disease, as well as a number of other conditions. Each of those diseases has different treatments and potential complications, so we want to know what to expect in the future if Scooter has any of those diseases. And sometimes treatment will really help them feel better even if you think his lack of activity is normal for him, it may be due to his cough, so treating it may be very beneficial. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

A cough associated with drinking can be a sign of dysfunction of the nerves that affect the larynx and the vocal cords. There are many other potential causes of a cough ranging from bronchitis to heart disease. I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian for a physical exam. X-rays might be recommended as a first step.