Why is my Shih Tzu coughing and spitting up phlegm for several hours?

Poor guy. It is possible he has a bit of an upper respiratory infection. I would recommend getting him seen by your vet for something like this, because he will need the vet to listen to his lung and heart sounds for any abnormalities and clues as to what is going on internally. He may also need x-rays of his chest if there is severe congestion heard in his chest. I do hope that your fur baby Bobby is able to get this sorted out soon! Best wishes and take care.

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!

I’m sorry to hear that Lexi isn’t feeling well. A common cause of cough in a young dog could still be kennel cough- it is very contagious and can even be transmitted on your clothes if you touched a contaminated object/person. Other causes although less likely at her age could be tracheal collapse, heartworm, heart disease, pneumonia, etc. I would reach out to your local humane society as they often have discounted care for those who qualify. Here is another link to help with resources. http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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 Mila Mumu! The most common cause of coughing in a puppy this age would be a respiratory infection such as kennel cough - if this is the problem, it should be easily treatable with antibiotics. The good news is, it's really not possible for her to have heartworm disease at her age - this illness takes a very long time to develop after being infected, so we don't typically see symptoms of it in dogs less than 2-3 years old at minimum. It's good that you're planning to take your pup in to the vet today for an exam. He/she will listen to her heart and lungs, and may recommend chest x-rays or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem. If she does have kennel cough (or something similar), your vet will probably send her home with antibiotics to treat the infection.

Hi there and thank you for your post! From your description, it sounds as though Winston may be fighting a respiratory infection that may be getting much more severe. Especially if the neck is now becoming extended, this means that Winston is struggling to breath quite a bit. I would suggest you get him seen by a vet sooner rather than later. It is possible that he will need antibiotic therapy and hospitalization if his breathing is worsening. Bringing him into the bathroom with the hot water running so he breathes in the steam may help with his breathing. I would strongly encourage you to get him seen by a licensed vet though for appropriate treatment. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns! I hope Winston improves!

I am afraid that is not normal. Considering that Snoopy is almost 16 years old my first thought here is that he needs his heart examined by your veterinarian. There is a condition almost every old dog gets, some worse than others, called endocardiosis. THis is a condition where the lips of the heart valves develop little nodules which then keeps the valves from closing properly and then the oxygenated blood is not effectively pumped into the rest of the body. This makes for a weak heart action and causes pulmonary edema, ie fluid in the lungs. The fluid in the lungs make breathing a chore (therefore a high respiration rate), and causes a moist cough when the dog is resting. Your dog also will not have as much energy as usual and slows down significantly. This can be significantly improved by giving diuretics and a heart medication that improved the output of the heart. Of course it is also possible that he has kennel cough or another respiratory condition. So I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam soon.