My dog swallowed a foxtail and is hacking. What should I do?

If he will allow, check in and around his mouth for more foxtail. Remove them if you can. Check in his ears and between his toes as well. A fine toothed comb and/or tweezers can be used to remove them. Monitor for more vomiting, lethargy, decreased or loss of appetite and abdominal pain. These are all symptoms that warrant an exam with your veterinarian.

Foxtails can be very difficult to diagnose if they inhale one......they tend to migrate and can be anywhere from the nasal passages/sinuses to down in the lungs or subcutaneous tissues. If they get one in between their toes, which is way more common, it is pretty easy to diagnose and treat. This article can give you more information: ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/protecting-your-pet-from-grass-seeds-and-awns/ ) If Lugosi is having a respiratory type issue that worries you then I suggest you get him to your vet for an exam.

If she isn't having any trouble breathing, and its more of a retch type cough, the pieces are probably in the back of her throat or they are in her esophagus (as apposed to being in her trachea/airway). I recommend that you offer her a piece of bread - preferably starchy white bread such as Wonderbread, then offer her some water or low sodium broth to wash it down. If the pieces are in the back of her mouth or in her esophagus this may help them move down. HOWEVER, if she is unable to swallow the bread, if she seems distressed when she tries to swallow, if she is drooling a lot of making a hard swallowing motion, you need to take her in. I'm sorry, I know that's hard when finances are a stress, but if she has something that is stuck in her esophagus that can be a real problem. I think that is unlikely the case, as I would expect for foam to be able to pass on down, but a big enough piece could be a problem. Likewise, even if/when we can get her to stop coughing/retching with the bread, please watch her closely for vomiting and decreased appetite. If these things occur, please take her in. It is possible that bedding can cause a blockage in the intestine (much more common than an blockage in the esophagus as I discussed above). Also, please watch her breathing. If she starts coughing again or if it seems she is breathing faster than normal (persistently faster than 40 breaths a minute at rest and when not panting) or it seems she is labored in her breathing, take her in. Anytime they have been working on "getting something up" there is a risk that some of the material, and/or some stomach acid/contents can regurgitate into the esophagus and then get sucked down the trachea, causing aspiration pneumonia. Try the bread and water or broth, then watch her closely. I hope you can avoid a visit to the vet but be aware she may need to be seen. Again what you are watching for is: vomiting decreased appetite painful belly continued or recurrent coughing breathing fast or labored Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I hope that information helps you.

Hacking cough can be related to upper airways infection (kennel cough-type infections) or inflammation of the throat from a wound or foreign body. It is possible that Baylle has throat infection and because of that she is coughing a lot. However, she may have a wound from chewing wood, or a piece of grass at the back of her throat which irritates the throat and makes her cough. I would recommend you to take Baylle to your local vet for an appointment. Your vet may suggest to examine her throat under sedation to make sure thare is no foreign material or a wound from chewing wood there.

If the suspicious is a foreign body (fishbone) stuck in the airways I recommend to seek veterinarian attention asap, this is an emergency situation. The vet will explore the upper airways and remove the foreign body. In the meantime keep Zarek calm to reduce his stress in this difficult situation. Good luck. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

If you can without her biting you or getting hurt, then you can try. I would only gently pull. If it doesn't come easily or if she freaks out, I would stop and take her to your vet. Your vet will be able to make sure it isn't embedded and sedate her if needed to safely remove it. I hope this helps!

If you think that Pixie is choking on something, this is a medical emergency - she needs to be seen by a vet right away. Other possible causes of coughing like this would include a respiratory infection, collapsing trachea, bronchitis, congestive heart failure, or even a lung tumor. The emergency can check her throats for any obstruction and may also take chest x-rays if needed to help determine the problem.