My dog coughs, but stops when relaxed or sleeping. Is it serious?

Hello. A cough can originate from cardiac or pulmonary causes, & this can be further defined as infectious, inflammatory, allergic, bronchial or tracheal, so all coughs are not due to heart failure. The cough could also be related to some acid reflux, The only way to narrow things down is with a good physical examination & chest x-rays. Regardless of the cause of the cough, there are many, many things that can be done to alleviate the cough depending on the cause & make sure Flojo & everyone else gets a good nights sleep. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for choosing Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Coughing can be an indication of illness related to either the respiratory or cardiovascular systems, or both. Dogs who have been around other dogs who have kennel cough can develop the illness as it is contagious. It is also a self-limiting illness meaning that it will go away on its own in about 2 weeks time. If Angel is experiencing coughing at certain times like at night or during exercise this points more to a problem with the heart. There are of course other things that can cause coughing. While It does not sound as though you need to rush to the vet with Angel, It wouldn't hurt to have her examined by a veterinarian. If you notice the cough worsens, does not appear to be resolving, her behavior changes, she seems to tire quickly after exercise, etc. Angel should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Hopefully this helps and best of luck to you and Angel.

I'm sorry to hear that Shasta is coughing! There are many things that can cause chronic coughing like this in dogs, so it's hard to say what might be wrong without being able to examine her and do some testing. With coughing that mostly happens when the dog is resting (or shortly thereafter), the first thing that I think about his heart disease - this is a common pattern to see with congestive heart failure, so I would definitely recommend taking Shasta to the vet for an exam and chest x-rays. If her heart checks out okay, then other possible causes would include chronic bronchitis, allergies, collapsing trachea, or a long-standing infection of some kind. Your veterinarian can advise you on what kind of treatment is needed based on the results of her exam and diagnostic testing.

This could be an upper respiratory infection such as kennel cough , but could also be a sign of heart disease, especially if Chico is an older dog. Another very likely possibility is that Chico has a collapsed trachea. You will need to take Chico to your vet for an exam and x-rays (which will rule out collapsed trachea and lung edema caused by congestive heart failure). Your vet;s exam will also detect any problems with the heart, that may be causing the cough. Please cschedule an appointment with your vet soon.

There could be many different reasons for a cough. I would video tape the cough since certain coughs can indicate certain things. Is it from a collapsing trachea or maybe a reverse sneeze. I would recommend chest xrays first to rule out lung pathology also. I would recommend asking your veterinarian if he has a heart murmur. To rule out a heart condition he would need to see a cardiologist. If he has a murmur I would strongly recommend a Cardiologist. If no heart murmur he can still have heart disease and a cardiologist would be indicated just to state it is not heart-related. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I always think a cough is worth evaluating. Some reasons are more benign than others, but it is always a good idea to know why your dog is coughing so you can be aware of how it may progress and prevent future problems. The first step is to have your veterinarian examine Scooter and take x-rays of his chest. That will evaluate his trachea for tracheal collapse (https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1527), his lungs for evidence of bronchitis (https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3151), his heart for evidence of heart disease, as well as a number of other conditions. Each of those diseases has different treatments and potential complications, so we want to know what to expect in the future if Scooter has any of those diseases. And sometimes treatment will really help them feel better even if you think his lack of activity is normal for him, it may be due to his cough, so treating it may be very beneficial. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Cough can be caused by an infection, heart problem or lung condition, it is important to first know the cause before treating it as treatment is different from condition to another. The most common disease causing cough is a viral/bacterial infection called Kennel cough, this disease usually resolves without treatment within a couple weeks but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.