7 Reasons You’ve Got A Dog Coughing Like Crazy

A dog coughing by itself isn’t necessarily an emergency – but excessive coughing can be a sign of illness. Including heart disease, infection, or a breathing obstruction…some of which can be life-threatening. Here’s everything you need to know about the different types of coughing in dogs and what you can do to take care of your canine loved one. (Including a vet-approved recommendation: Activity Tracking.)

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Why is my dog coughing?

In general, coughing is the body’s reaction to an irritant in the airway. But if you’ve got a dog coughing frequently, in their sleep, or with changes in their breathing, it could be because of:

• A foreign object in their throat
  Whether it’s from swallowing something they shouldn’t have or a stick or bone splintering and lodging in their throat.
• Eating too fast
  And food going down the “wrong pipe” or the trachea.
• Environmental allergens
  Like pollen, smoke, fungi, and allergies.
• Tracheal collapse
  Which might lead to coughing sounding like a honking goose. Tracheal collapse occurs when the cartilage surrounding the airway weakens. Toy dog breeds and obese dogs are at increased risk.
• Pneumonia
  Which might turn up as a wet, phlegmy cough signalling a buildup of (infected) fluid in your dog’s lungs.
• Heart disease
  Which can also lead to fluid buildup around the lungs, resulting in a cough. Heart disease also can cause the heart to enlarge and put pressure on the trachea – resulting in a cough as well.
• Canine chronic bronchitis
  Caused by inflammation of the tiny branches of your dog’s lower airways. If your dog has coughed daily for more than two months, they may have canine chronic bronchitis.
• Laryngeal paralysis
  Where the muscles that surround the voice box (larynx) become weak. Your pup may pant loudly and their voice may change.
• Canine influenza
  Which includes coughing, but also sneezing, runny nose, runny eyes, fever, and lethargy.

💡An Activity Tracker for dogs can help you spot the signs of illness – like lethargy, or a drop in your dog’s activity – much in advance. So you can take action and get your dog to a vet for a checkup that much earlier.

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Is my dog coughing or gagging?

Coughing and gagging may sound similar when they happen, but they’re not quite the same.

• A cough is caused when your dog forces air out of the mouth and throat.
• Gagging is more akin to vomiting, but nothing comes out except some phlegm or mucus.

Coughing can lead to gagging and vice versa – but either can happen on its own. Gagging is often the result of your dog gulping down large chunks of dry food or swallowing something distasteful. It’s a natural process to rid the body of the swallowed or partially-swallowed item.

What are the different types of dog coughs?

Pay attention to how your dog’s cough sounds so you can describe it to your veterinarian. This will help your vet decide the best way to care for the cough and make your pooch more comfortable. Which category below best describes your dog’s cough?

• Dry, hacking, cough that is deep-sounding
• Gagging and high-pitched cough
• Wet and phlegmy
• Deep and honking, like a goose

Each type of cough indicates a different problem. Take a video of your dog coughing and show it to your vet. This will help the vet decide if the cough signals an emergency or could be contagious, like kennel cough or canine influenza.

Is my dog reverse sneezing?

Reverse sneezing, also known as paroxysmal respiration, may seem like coughing, but it’s not. In a reverse sneezing episode, a dog actually sucks air in rather than forcing it out. The reverse sneezing attack may last up to a minute, then it’s over – and your dog will probably act like nothing happened. Don’t be alarmed, but keep track of how often this happens. If reverse sneezing becomes a daily occurrence, contact your vet to rule out any other conditions.

What are the symptoms of kennel cough?

The term “kennel cough” is a catchall for any inflammation of the dog’s trachea and lower airways. It typically causes your dog to produce a deep, dry, honking cough.

Kennel cough is caused by several types of bacteria or viruses, but it produces only mild illness. Left untreated, kennel cough can move into your dog’s lungs, leading to more severe problems like pneumonia or chronic bronchitis. It’s also highly contagious and is often spread in group settings such as obedience classes, boarding facilities, or dog parks.

When should I bring my dog to a vet? 

Most cases of coughing in dogs are completely treatable. But your dog’s condition needs to be diagnosed in order be treated, so that means a trip to the vet. Bring along a video of your dog coughing in case your pup doesn’t cough during the appointment.

Bring your dog to the vet if your dog experiences any of these:

• Your dog’s cough is getting worse
• Your dog’s cough lasts more than 5 days
• Your dog coughs after exercise
• Your dog coughs after drinking or eating food 
• Your dog coughs even when resting 
• Lethargy – which you can catch on to early if you’ve been tracking your dog’s daily activity
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Labored breathing

Your veterinarian can prescribe medication to alleviate the cough. Be sure to keep your pup away from other dogs until they are no longer contagious.

Likewise, the Bordetella vaccine and Canine Influenza vaccine can protect your dog from getting kennel cough. Your vet can administer them as an injection or nasal spray. Talk to your vet about these vaccines, especially if your dog is boarded frequently. 

Are there some home remedies for my dog’s cough?

Persistent coughing can irritate the throat. So here are a couple of home remedies you could try:

• Soothe your pup’s throat with honey. Add a spoonful of honey to a bowl of water, up to three times per day. 
• Place a small humidifier near your dog’s bed can keep your pet’s throat from drying out.
• If you don’t have a humidifier, invite your pup into the bathroom while you shower (but not in the actual shower or tub) for a bit of steam therapy. Close the bathroom door so the room gets extra steamy.
• Allowing your dog to plenty of rest is important for recovery form any illness. Don’t force them to go on walks or engage in vigorous play. Their body just needs time to recover.

How to prevent coughs in dogs?

Sometimes, there isn’t any way to prevent coughing or gagging in your dog. But you can take some simple precautions to avoid life-threatening illness.

• Keep your pup current on all vaccinations including the kennel cough vaccine.
• Keep them away from unvaccinated or sick dogs.
• Regular vet checkups can help with prevention, safeguard your pet’s health, and catch serious illnesses before they progress.

Where an Activity Tracker can help you detect issues early

Sometimes it might take a few days for your dog to develop a full-blown cough. The signs they’re sick or struggling with an infection can be subtle and easy to miss – until they’ve worsened, that is.

💡Which is why vets recommend tracking your dog’s regular activity to catch on to health issues early.

“Keep track of your dog’s energy levels, especially how long they are able to walk.

If you notice significant declines, it could be a sign of pain, heart disease, or other illness.”

– VCA Animal Hospitals¹

So you could jot down your dog’s symptoms in a journal – or use the actionable data from an Activity Tracker for dogs instead.

With its built-in motion detector, your Tractive GPS both picks up on where your dog’s been off wandering – and for how long they’ve been on the move.

Which, over time, can help you figure out in numbers:

• What’s a normal level of activity for your dog
• How active your dog is compared to other, similar dogs – from your very own community leaderboard
• If there’s a gradual (or even sharp) dip in your dog’s daily activity – which might signal they’re sick, injured, or in pain.

All of which can help you have a more productive conversation with your vet – and help you avoid a hefty, thoroughly preventable bill.

“Absolutely love this tracker…it gives great insights on (our dogs’) activity and sleep levels.

I’m comforted knowing that if they started acting strangely or the data shifted drastically that we could take them to vet potentially before we would notice something wrong.

Can’t recommend this tracker enough!“

– Eva, US (Source: Trustpilot)

Get health alerts for your dog

Our pups can’t always tell us if something’s wrong. But if their tracker detects unusual changes in their routine, you’ll get an alert, helping you catch potential issues early.

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If your dog does get treated for a cough, follow your vet’s instructions after your visit. Soon your energetic and loving buddy will be back to their best self!

And if you’ve liked this post, share it with a friend or a loved one – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.

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Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.

This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Dr. Alleyne began his career at a no-kill animal shelter before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. He graduated from Cornell University Veterinary College in 2006 and completed an internship at Purdue University.

Now practicing in Georgia, Dr. Alleyne specializes in soft tissue surgery and ultrasounds. He also writes pet health articles on his website, “The Animal Doctor Blog” (www.anmldrblog.com).