The dog coughs, as if choked: why is a cough and what to do?

The pet cannot tell you about his feelings, the owner has to guess what is happening to the animal himself (or with the help of a specialist). And our material today is designed to help people correctly recognize the causes of cough in dogs.

It happens that a four-legged one suddenly begins an attack of such a cough, as if he had choked on something. In this case, a person’s pattern helps a person, but how to come to the aid of a dog? What actually provoked an attack-the hit of a subject into the respiratory tract or is it an alarming symptom of some serious disease?

Why is the dog coughing?

You need to understand that the dog can trumpetly choke during a hasty eating food or accidentally drawing some small object with the air. In this case, the body reflexively tries to return to normal, pushing foreign bodies that have fallen into the larynx with a cough.

Most likely, the dog itself will cope with the problem, otherwise you will have to contact the veterinarians. If you are absolutely sure that your pet could not choke on anything, then there are a number of reasons why the dog coughs, as if choked on  - Let's look at the most common of them:

1. Colds. Dogs, like any other living creatures, can suffer from colds. This can happen due to hypothermia (water procedures at low temperatures, very long active walks in the cold), drafts, eating cold (frozen) food, due to reduced immunity and so on. With an acute form of the disease, the veterinarian will most likely prescribe for treatment antibiotic, a drug for restoring intestinal microflora, an expectorant, plentiful drink, peace and warm food.
2. Viral infections. If your pet does not receive the necessary vaccinationstalked with diseased pets or wild animals, rummaged in waste, has a weak immunity, sleeps poorly, recently illuminated something or suffered surgery, and also too young (up to a year) or already elderly, it can most likely pick up one From viral or bacterial infections. In this case, conventional funds from colds will not help, and only a veterinarian will be able to prescribe competent treatment.
3. A strongly tightened collar. It happens that  the dog is coughing  Elementary due to the overly prolonged collar. According to the norms, for the normal breathing of your pet, you should leave a gap between the neck and a collar of two fingers wide. If your four -legged friend with a jerk of the leash itself adders to the collar himself, then you need to work out with him the skill of walking nearby without chaotic jerks or to purchase a slope or choose a wider collar.

   

4. Allergic reaction. Dogs, like people, often suffer from allergies - for food and drugs, plant pollen and dust, chemicals, and so on. As a rule, in addition to coughing, other symptoms will be observed in the animal: swelling of the mucous membranes, tear separation and runny nose. If you suspect allergies, it is necessary to identify its pathogen as accurately as possible and nullify the contact with it.
5. Infection with parasites. Availability worms (especially there are a lot of them) can lead to the most deplorable consequences, and the unexpected bouts of cough in the dog are one of the symptoms of parasites. Even if you are conducting a discipline once every 3 months the fight against helminths, this, unfortunately, does not give a 100 % guarantee of victory over them. If parasites begin to actively multiply in the body of the owner, then this leads to a general intoxication of the animal, a sharp decrease in immunity. The cough can also begin from the presence of parasite larvae in the respiratory tract, which (as well as in the brain, heart or liver) develop until a certain age, moving along the bloodstream.
6. Heart failure. With this ailment, the heart muscle increases and begins to provide pressure directly on the trachea. It feels like it really looks like a pet something choked. If such a cough appeared against the background of lethargy, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, increased fatigue, then you should immediately contact the veterinarian to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
7. Features of the breed. Long -haired (shaggy) dogs suffer from the entrance to the gastrointestinal tract of villi, which eventually form whole shreds in the stomach, causing vomiting reflex. And short -moraine and dwarf varieties of dogs suffer from the reverse sneezing, Very like a grunt of a pig - There is nothing alarming.
8. Damaged esophagus. This may lead to a swallowing of something acute - fish seeds or tubular bird bones, wood fragments or other foreign objects. They can to scratch the esophagusPassing further in the gastrointestinal tract, and damaged places will be sad, causing a cough. To restore the esophagus mucosa, you need from 8 to 12 hours, if the injured piece does not get stuck. Otherwise, you must either try to push the splinter with hard food (like people - a crust of stale bread), or go to the veterinarian.
9. Swearing of foreign objects. This refers to something thin, elastic and long - a thread or elastic band, a New Year's rain and twine, which can decompose along the esophagus and deeper, provoking coughing attacks. Try to push the swallowed with rough food or call the veterinarian.
10. Tumors in the respiratory tract or esophagus. Their localization and possible treatment methods can only be determined by specialists after serious studies.

The dog coughs, as if choked: Types of cough

Coughing is a natural mechanism that protects the animal’s respiratory system from any stimuli. Therefore, if the dog coughs as if choked, she is trying to get rid of a foreign body or another stimulus that interferes with her.

There are several varieties of dog cough, among which:

1. Reflex - When the body throws out foreign objects from the respiratory tract, thus cleaning them.
2. Dry or wet - Classified by the presence of sputum with coughing. In the first case, indicates chronic diseases, in the second - about an acute inflammatory process.
3. Frequent, rare or constant - Depends on how much it is observed, on the frequency of seizures.
4. Strong or weak, superficial or deep - Distinguish between the power of cough.
5. Painful or painless - It can be seen from the reaction of the animal to the attack.

The dog coughs, as if choked: what to do?

If you see that the dog coughs, as if choked on, you must show her first aid, not allowing her tongue to sink. So, we have already found out that sudden cough Your pet can provoke any causes that are not too dangerous for the animal’s life that can be cope with at home.

But if such coughing attacks begin to be repeated, then this is already a fairly good reason for a visit to the veterinarian.

1. Small dog follows take the hind legs and shake slightly, and then - put on the back.
2. A large animal must be put, and then, raising the back, catching the sternum.
3. If your pet is a representative of the breed prone to the opposite sneezing, then the swallowing of saliva and a deep sharp breath will help him - for this simplet his throat and click his nose.
4. In dogs with a flattened nose, you should feel if the respiratory tract closed with a soft long sky.
5. If your pet has breathing, then try to produce indirect heart massage and damage the lungs.

Having completed the above recommendations, it is best to seek help to the veterinarian to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe therapy. For this, a specialist will need to produce a number of studies, among which - a blood test, x -ray or ultrasound of the heart.

Video: Why does the dog cough, as if choked?