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My puppy is gagging but not vomiting. Did he swallow something?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 9 week puppy is gagging like he has to vomit but doesn't actually vomit once or twice a day. Vet said it wasn't kennel cough. What could it be?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on July 14th, 2015

Puppies are notorious for swallowing anything that crosses their path. They don't have hands, so they explore everything with their mouths. He may have swallowed something that is stuck, there may even be a piece of string looped around the base of his tongue. Hopefully your vet did a thorough oral examination, including lifting the tongue in order to see underneath. This area is very hard to see and string can hide there very easily. It could be a long human hair that is bothering him. If you find string, thread or hair in his mouth that goes down his throat, DO NOT PULL IT. Same goes for any you may see as he tries to defecate. NEVER pull on any linear foreign body. It could be looped around some soft tissue out of sight and you will cause more damage. Any stringlike material caught around the tongue should be cut with a pair of safety scissors and allowed to go on down. If this happens, let your vet know what is going on and if he develops any other symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, get him back in to see your vet right away.

31Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Sarah Smith, Bsc (Hons) BVM&S MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on January 4th, 2017
I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible to have your dog examined. It is not normal for him to be gagging and if he has a history of eating foreign objects there may be a possibility that he may have eaten something else that could be causing a problem. Your veterinarian will be able to perform a full examination and may suggest X-rays or even endoscopy (passing a camera into the stomach) if they have any concerns regarding a further foreign object.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on June 20th, 2018
Poor Siberious! If he has string in his stool, I would be concerned that there is more of it in his GI tract causing an obstruction and leading to this vomiting. It's very concerning that he has not stopped vomiting, and that tells he is very sick and needs veterinary care now. I would consider this an emergency situation. If he does have an obstruction, he probably needs surgery to remove it. Leaving obstructions untreated are fatal, which is why I'm recommending an immediate vet visit. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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