Help! what is this hacking cough

[honeybears]

okay you know me I will go to the vet (well my dog will) but I want to know what anyone thinks this could be

Wylie has started hacking and coughing in the last few days. It was only very sporadic, but now when she gets excited she has this hacking coughing, and kind of like something in her throat. and this spits up saliva. My husband thinks she may have a sore throat because we have terrible fires here and that maybe she has irritation from the smoke. She always plays in in our bark area, I wonder if maybe a piece of bark or something caught.

So please any ideas?

[DeLaUK]

Yep...vet....but you already knew that huh!

If there are fires there it could be related but if I remember right isnt Wylie around 9 years old now? Smoke inhalation can lead to bronchial problems, pneumonia etc....or it could be like you said, something caught in the throat that started it, even if the peice of bark is now gone it could have caused irritation....gotta admit though it was the pattern that sent an alarm off, especially if Im thinking right about Wylies age....the coughing with excitement 'can' mean other things that you will definately want checked out by a vet....not trying to panic you or anything but I would want to rule out any heart condition, fluid in the chest, tracheal problems, asthma.....hopefully it wont be anything like that and will just be a sore throat or something. When we had the fires in CA in 2003 I volunteered at the local evac (dog) centre, we had a lot of dogs with bronchial problems, sore eyes, sore throats etc.

keep us updated....thanks.

[honeybears]

she is about 9 now. I would never think think of a heart problem, how do you get that related to a hacking cough when excited?

good news is the wind really picked up and cleared the smoke, bad news for the fires though.

hopefully its nothing, and I will get her an appt for the vet next week if it continuesues and if it gets worse I will take her to the urgent care this week-end

[Shineillusion]

Congestive heart failure causes fluid to build up in the lungs. During exercise or when the dog gets excited, they hack and cough because of the excess fluid.

While there's no cure, there are medications to help, and the sooner you catch it, the better.

It's also that time of year; lots of mold and pollen in the air. And like you mentioned, there's smoke to consider. And dogs do get tonsilitis, same as people. Lots of things to consider.

[honeybears]

thanks for the info shine, Wylie just had a coughing episode and my husband said it sure sounds like kennel cough. (he has had experience with it years ago) I just read up on it. I havent vaccinated her for 2 years now because she had a bad reaction to her last shot and she is not around a lot of other dogs, dog parks or anything, but she is around my parents dog who gets groomed so I am going to look into this aspect too

thanks

honeybears

[Jamiya]

If Wylie was around your parents' dog within a couple of days of that dog getting the kennel cough vaccine, the dog could have been shedding live virus. This would be a way for Wylie to get kennel cough.

In general kennel cough isn't a big deal, especially in an otherwise healthy dog. They sometimes make it sound like it's some huge thing, but it's basically a head cold. Usually it will go away on its own. If it's really bothering her, then I think many vets recommend over-the-counter medication - benadryl or something? Definitely don't go on my word for that.

You can also get antibiotics, but vets seem to hand those out like candy whether it's really needed or not.

I don't vaccinate my dogs and I have had foster dogs come in with kennel cough and my dogs never get it.

[honeybears]

After doing a lot of reading on KC, it said one of the telltale signs was to lightly press the larnyx where the collar is and if they hack that usually means its KC. My vet doesnt open unitl 10 so I wil give them a call.

I had people over yesterday and jake was all excited and was hacking a tiny bit. I have had him on something called infection fighter for the last 2 weeks because of of his hots spots, its an herbal blend, so I started giving that to Wylie.

My parents dog is vaccinated for KC, can she still be a carrier? she was groomed 3 weeks ago and we went over to my parents on labor day. She has not been anywhere before that or since.

[honeybears]

I talked to the vets office and they want to see how she does over the next few days. and then bringin for a full work up. These darn fires, the wind changed and its so smokey again!

I am worried about the heart thing, oh I hate this internet sometimes you can find such good stuff but then stuff you dont want to,like possible heart problems.

they said hmmm KC is rare getting it from a vaccinateddog, but they want to see how she does on infection fighter first and then go from there.

[Sara]

They can take Cough syrup... My pit got that kind of a thing awhile back and got a dose of baby cough syrup, the kind with no asperin or alchohol. It helped...you should have seen her though trying to get that NASTY taste out of her mouth. Might check with the vet though first.

Sara

[honeybears]

Wylie wasnt hacking last night. which is good news! So I will just watch the next few days

[Jamiya]

[Shineillusion]

The KC vaccine isn't really a vaccine. It's a bacterin. Bordetella is a bacteria, not a virus. And the "vaccine" is only effective against two of the strains. That's why I don't bother with it.

[yogi]

My 14 1/2 yr old Pin was diagnosed with conestive heart failure and has dry hacking coughs whenever she gets excited or after playing. The meds she takes has done well to curb the coughing and she still has maintained her good nature. As for KC, being that this is an airborne virus that can travel up to a mile, it can be contracted easily. I have dealt with this of and on for over 40 years. The nice thing these days is no longer living in the city. Being 50 miles out in the country with all my dogs, they have done well to no longer contract it.

[honeybears]

the good news is it cleared up after about a week or so and she hasnt done it since. glad to hear your min is doing well at 14!.