Coughing, Gagging?

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

Hi everyone!

My sweet girl has been coughing and gagging (like she's going to vomit, but nothing ever comes up) maybe 4-5 times each day. Everything else is fine, she's happy and bouncy, runs and plays. Eating, drinking, peeing, pooping all normal.

This has been going on since last weekend or so...

My thinking has been that this may be a cold, sore throat, or allergies, hoping that it would go away on its own. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? If it doesn't stop, I can take her to the vet next week, just starting to feel bad for her.

Thanks for any ideas or info!

[OwnedBySummer]

Sorry to hear your baby is hacking. Kennel cough perhaps? You can listen to some samples on youtube.

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

Thank you for the info - I hadn't even considered kennel cough!

 

Watched some videos and it's definitely not what little girl is doing, this is more like throat clearing to me. Not honking and not consecutive coughs - one or two, an unproductive gag, then she's done. Do you think she could have a piece of bone or other yuck stuck in there? Since she's had no trouble eating or drinking, I figured her throat would be clear but maybe I'm wrong...

She's also snoring like a buzzsaw, which I'll admit is kind of funny, but still...

[OwnedBySummer]

It's gone on for a while now. Personally, I'd be at the vet tomorrow morning. I assume you can't see anything down there?

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

No, can't see anything.

Will definitely make a call to the dr - thanks for your help!

[KF_in_Georgia]

I'm betting on pollen allergies, especially since it's been going on the last week. If you're getting the pollen we Southerners were getting the past couple of weeks, it's entirely possible it's an allergic reaction and her sinuses are draining down her throat. Take a look here. Evanston is in the red zone. (Atlanta's pollen count today was 724. A week ago it was 2429. The week before that it was 8024. We were off the scale on the 12-point levels used by some reporting sources.)

 

Try Benadryl. Use the "straight" stuff--no pain reliever or fever reducer (but a generic is fine). She can have 1mg/pound of body weight as often as every 8 hours. (So a 50-pound dog can have two 25mg pills every eight hours.)

 

It may make her drowsy.

 

ETA: She probably could take Claritin or Zyrtec, but I'd let your vet recommend quantities. Try Benadryl until you can get her to your vet next week.

Edited April 26, 2013 by KF_in_Georgia

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

I'm betting on pollen allergies, especially since it's been going on the last week. If you're getting the pollen we Southerners were getting the past couple of weeks, it's entirely possible it's an allergic reaction and her sinuses are draining down her throat. Take a look here. Evanston is in the red zone. (Atlanta's pollen count today was 724. A week ago it was 2429. The week before that it was 8024.)

 

Try Benadryl. Use the "straight" stuff--no pain reliever or fever reducer (but a generic is fine). She can have 1mg/pound of body weight as often as every 8 hours. (So a 50-pound dog can have two 25mg pills every eight hours.)

 

It may make her drowsy.

 

Great idea! We are all suffering big time - sniffling and sneezing humans as well as pups. Hopefully that's all it is... Poor girl.

[msjpk]

Take a video, and send to vet.

[OwnedBySummer]

Allergies must be an awful thing. I don't have them, no dog has ever had them, no family member has them. I don't even THINK of an allergic reaction as a possibility. I hope that's all it is as that is eminently treatable! And we barely have buds up here, let alone pollen yet.

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

Called the vet - she said to go ahead with the benadryl and get in touch next week. Apparently lots of pups are having trouble lately with the plant and pollen explosion

 

I can only imagine what it sounds like in the house when all four of us are sawing logs

Thanks for the help, all!

[KF_in_Georgia]

You can help her--and all of y'all--if you'll wipe her down with a baby wipe or even a damp paper towel when she comes in the house. That may pick up loose pollen that has blown onto her coat (as well as grabbing loose hair).

[Guest Stickdog]

Check YouTube for "Italian greyhound reverse sneeze" my dog Stick does the same thing. I also picked up "lil noses" baby nose drops and I put 2 or 3 drops in each nostril and that clears the pollen out within minutes. It's basically just a saline solution. Stick has a sensitive tummy so I don't like to give benedryl consistently although I do give him a 1/2 when needed during high allergy seasons.

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

thank you both for the tips - i think the wipes and/or drops are a great idea! vet suggested i bring her in for an exam just in case and she's been feeling better over the past few days

[KF_in_Georgia]

Also watch for shaking her head a lot or pawing at her ears. You know how when you have sinus trouble, it sometimes feels as if you have water in your ears? Yeah. She may get that too. Antihistamines will help. You also can take a large, dry cotton ball, put it in her ear, massage the ear, then take out the cotton ball and see if it collected gunk.

[Guest JJGrey]

Thank you for posting this! I've been having the same problem. I picked Jay Jay up from boarding on Monday and he's been hacking/gagging ever since. I started on Benadryl last night and am taking him to the vet this weekend. I looked on youtube and I don't think it's kennel cough. A friend of mine said he dog had a similar issue and it was resolved with Pepcid (not AC). Just a thought. Please keep me posted.

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

Thank you for posting this! I've been having the same problem. I picked Jay Jay up from boarding on Monday and he's been hacking/gagging ever since. I started on Benadryl last night and am taking him to the vet this weekend. I looked on youtube and I don't think it's kennel cough. A friend of mine said he dog had a similar issue and it was resolved with Pepcid (not AC). Just a thought. Please keep me posted.

 

Oh no, I hope your boy feels better soon!

 

Our vet checked her out and said that she's definitely got allergies (post nasal drip can irritate throat and cause trouble) and possibly a case of bronchitis. Gave us some antibiotics just in case, and either it's the meds that have helped or she's just getting better on her own

 

Doc told me that the main thing to watch for is if they start getting sluggish/lethargic or stop eating and drinking. I'm a nervous momma so I probably bring her in more often than absolutely necessary, but her coughs just sounded so pitiful!

 

As for myself, I'm on Claritin round the clock!

[KF_in_Georgia]

Thank you for posting this! I've been having the same problem. I picked Jay Jay up from boarding on Monday and he's been hacking/gagging ever since. I started on Benadryl last night and am taking him to the vet this weekend. I looked on youtube and I don't think it's kennel cough. A friend of mine said he dog had a similar issue and it was resolved with Pepcid (not AC). Just a thought. Please keep me posted.

 

That sounds as if the Pepcid dog might have been dealing with acid reflux. Acid reflux can be a problem after meals (or right after an after-meal nap). Sinus trouble is likely to be gagging and coughing after waking up from a long sleep.