Weird Cough

In the past day or two Milton has started making a strange noise sometimes. You know that gagging/coughing sound dogs make when they have something in their throat? Well, it's like that, but here's the oddity...

He only does it when he gets excited or runs around, if he's just mulling around the house he's fine. As soon as someone comes to the door or plays with him though he starts running around and it starts up.

He's still drinking and eating as usual, but it is odd. Any ideas?
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Has he been around other dogs lately? Any possibility of being exposed to kennel cough? (Keeping in mind that the bordatella vaccine is far from 100%)

Just a thought.

Kristine
We had the same exact symptoms and it was in fact kennel cough. They can catch it from other dogs, boarding facility or even at the Vet. It's not serious in itself but can go into pnemonia so best to gt it treated. I think we were prescribed some type of antibiotic and cough medicine pills.

If you have other dogs in the house, don't be surprised if they start that coughing too.
Sure sounds like an upper respiratory crud collectively called.....crud....or kennel cough. At the opposite extreme however, that is very small chance, is heart condition. Best have it looked at.
I would say probably worms, possibly heartworm though that's unlikely where you live. Just roundworm though will cause those symptoms.
I'd get him checked though in case it is a heart issue.
Hudson was coughing this week. We called the vet and decided it was probably an irritated or scratched throat and decided to monitor it. It's pretty much all cleared up now (three or four days).

The reason that we didn't take him in was specifically because he only coughed when he barked. Exercise did NOT trigger it. The vet said if it got worse, if he coughed in other circumstances, or if we heard any coughing from Rudy, to bring him right in.

The fact that activity triggers Milton's coughing/hacking makes me think that a trip to the vet is definitely in order. I wouldn't take any chances.

I asked our vet about the possibility of kennel cough. (Here, it's not a vaccine they get regularly - by request only - but Rudy had to have it to get on the airplane in Florida. so I thought he couldn't possibly have brought it into our home.) The vet said that it's a non-sterilizing vaccine. It doesn't prevent kennel cough. It keeps the infection from being serious. So, in fact, Rudy could have brought it here.

It doesn't look that way, but we're still watching Hudson like a hawk. And the next time I have him at the vet I may ask for the vaccine. He does socialize a lot with other dogs and goes to obedience classes weekly. It might not be a bad idea.

Anyway, I'd have him checked out. It wouldn't hurt, and will give you peace of mind. Good luck to you both.
It sounds a lot like kennel cough (bordatella). It is the dog version of an URI.
I just got an email this week from the place we take our agility classes that kennel cough has been present in the building this past week. Guess it's making the rounds.

It's not usually bad - more like an annoying cold. It can get worse and some strains are worse than others.

I tend to treat it, because if I can get rid of it quickly, odds are better that ALL the dogs won't get it. And it has worked. The worst I've had is 3 with it from a single exposure. And the rest of the time just the one dog or 2 at the most. :wink:
SheepieBoss wrote:
Sure sounds like an upper respiratory crud collectively called.....crud....or kennel cough. At the opposite extreme however, that is very small chance, is heart condition. Best have it looked at.

I agree with Sheepiboss it's always best to have a cough like this looked at to rule out a heart condition . Even if it's just for peace of mind.
Mad Dog wrote:
Has he been around other dogs lately? Any possibility of being exposed to kennel cough? (Keeping in mind that the bordatella vaccine is far from 100%)

Just a thought.

Kristine


That would be my guess....
We called the vet today and described the symptoms. The vet figures it's kennel cough and told us just to keep an eye on him. If it gets any worse they're going to give him antibiotics but they figure it'll pass on it's own.

He just spent a day at the vets earlier on the week while he got his haircut (vet has an in house groomer) so we made sure to tell them that. The vet said he wasn't aware of any outbreak but he'd keep an eye out. We do take Milton to the dog park often as well so who knows
Is Milton a big chewer of stuff he shouldnt?

Last year we thought Tiggy had kennel cough twice! The second time I took her to the vet he said it was too soon for her to have it again and asked whether she chewed stuff she shouldnt. Yep Wayne had left some little foil pie plates on the bench as she'd stolen them and chewed them. She swallowed a few bits, found them a day or two later when cleaning up after her.

So it was a scratched, irritated throat. Our vet had us monitor for 3-4 days and said if it got worse or didnt go away to come back in as it could progress to an infection. Fortunately it settled.
Mim, I had forgotten about that. You'd think, being a sister of Sybil, in spirit if not in pedigree :twisted: it would have stuck in my mind.

One thing that should help differentiate is that they typically get nasal discharge with kennel cough.

Made me remember a dog I picked up for NYS rescue back in the dark ages. He had been in a shelter and then fostered short term locally, I picked him up at the foster home and was driving him somewhere else. After a short while I started notice he was cacking a bit and had snot coming from his nose 8O I called Madeline, she wasn't home, and being infinitely articulate and medically savvy (and when I'm stressed, especially, my English goes out the window) I told her husband;
" the dog I just picked up is snotty"
"WHAT?"
"He's snotty" I could not for the life of me think of a different way to put it.
"He's behaving badly?"
"No! He's behaving poorly. He has snot coming out his nose!"
Silence.

Wayne was too kind to laugh out loud at me. Or too stunned :lol: :lol: :lol:

Even he knew I was most likely talking about kennel cough, I called the place where he was going, turned around and my vet confirmed it. And all lived happily ever after. :wink:

Hopefully that's what it is, it's a mild case, he's better soon and life goes on.

Kristine
^^^^^^
:lol: :lol:
well on the other hand if you told lots of people that a dog had nasal discharge they might not be sure what you meant either, so you were doomed.
Mim wrote:
Is Milton a big chewer of stuff he shouldnt?


My response to that....is yes, without question. See here:

http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=17285&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Ah, I was not around for the Milton and the razor blade story.
It is very similiar to the one I posted on my Dalmo and the acupuncture needle. I had the joyous experience of hunting for a needle in a stack for one week. Yes it took that long!!

Hopefully Milton's cough does not come with a snotty nose and that he has just chewed on something that scratched a bit. :crossed:
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