Lab with a cough.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Hershey is having problems with coughing. While I can't give you a diagnosis over the internet, I can give you my thoughts.

The most common reason for a young dog to cough like this is Kennel Cough. You may find this article I wrote interesting: Kennel Cough in Dogs.

Often, the type of cough that dogs have with kennel cough cause the dog to sound like there is something stuck in her throat. I often will get clients bring me in dogs that they think are vomiting, but are actually coughing so much that they are bringing up phlegm due to the cough.

A dog doesn't have to have been to a kennel to get kennel cough. It is a virus that is spread very easily through the air.

If this is kennel cough then most dogs do get over it on their own within a few days. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to completely get over it. If the cough is getting worse, then your vet can prescribe a cough suppressant. We usually don't have to prescribe antibiotics.

There are lots of other things that can cause a cough in dogs, but if a cough comes on all of a sudden like this then a virus such as kennel cough is most likely. Other possibilities are aspiration pneumonia (i.e. if the dog inhaled something into her lungs, a fungal infection, asthma and more.

Heart problems such as heartworm or other heart diseases can cause a cough but they usually come on very slowly.

If Hershey seems bright and alert it may be ok to wait a few days before deciding if she needs to see the vet. But, here are some criteria that would make me want to take her in:

-If she's really lethargic.
-If she doesn't want to eat.
-If the cough seems very bothersome (to her or to you)
-If you see a green discharge from her eyes or nose (as this can mean infection.)

It's also a good idea to keep her away from other dogs until she is no longer coughing as kennel cough is very contagious.

I hope she's feeling better soon!

Dr. Marie.

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