Health & Wellbeing12 year old toy poddle with a strange cough. What might cause this? Thank You.
There are a number of possible causes for a cough in a 12 year old poodle. We can group those causes into 2 big categories: 1) the primary issue is airway OR 2) the primary issue is the heart. If the problem is his airway, it may be that he has a collapsing trachea, which results in a unique honking type cough. If the lower airways (the lungs) are the issue, it could be a number of possible causes including bronchitis, pneumonia, or cancer. If the problem is his heart, coughing may result from congestive heart failure, which is a buildup of fluid in the lungs because the heart is not pumping effectively. We can also see a cough if the heart is enlarged and is pushing up on the trachea. A visit to your vet is warranted, and chest xrays would help identify what is happening. Please note: His respiratory rate at rest should not persistently be more than 40 breaths in 1 minute. If his breathing is persistently faster than that or if he seems weak, it is an emergency. If the
Updated on August 12th, 2025
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