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Why does my senior dog cough, gag, and eat too fast? Is it weight?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shar Pei | Female | spayed | 10 years and 5 months old | 130 lbs

My female 10 yo Shar Pei X Rhodesian Ridgeback has for a while now been coughing and gagging regularly, like she's trying to bring something up, but its usually unproductive, but can go on until she makes herself vomit. She is about 10kg overweight (she weighs just under 60kgs). She wolfs her food down so fast that that can also make her gag. Is this normal in older dogs? Is it related to her weight? and how can I get her to slow down eating?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on January 4th, 2019

Thank you for your questions about Bindi. Some older dogs can develop a gagging/coughing after eating or drinking possibly due to fibrosing of the soft tissue but I'm not sure that an exact cause is identified. Since there can be many causes of coughing and gagging in general, having Bindi examined by her veterinarian will just make sure that everything sounds and feels normal.
I do not suspect the gulping of the food causes the coughing. The weight can contribute to breathing difficulty (as well as other health issues) but I wouldn't pin all the signs on just her excess weight. Certainly getting her weight to a healthy level is better for her in general.
There are special bowls you can find that have large, tower like objects build into the bowl that force the pet to eat around them and slows things down. Dog food that has a doughnut shaped kibble can also slow down eating. Try a special bowl in combo with the special shaped kibble.
I hope this helps to lead you in the right direction. Please post with any additional questions!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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