coughing

by michael
(united kingdom)

hi we have a 4 month old american bull dog puppy, all her injections and worming are up to date, she seems lively in herself eating well, drinking normally, but the last couple of days she seems to have got this little cough as if she is trying to fetch something up , it doesn't happen that often so was wondering if you have any ideas as to what it might be

thanks mick....




Hi MickThere could be several different reasons for Brandi's coughing. The fact that she's eating, drinking, and acting, normally is good, likewise that she's up to date on her vaccinations.

I'm not certain what shots she's had, but at least in the US the vaccination for Kennel Cough (Bordatella) isn't mandatory. Kennel Cough is most likely to be caught if a dog spends a lot of time in an environment with lots of other dogs - such as a boarding kennel, doggie daycare, rescue center etc. If Brandi hasn't been vaccinated against Kennel Cough it's possible that she's picked it up somewhere. Most training classes require that a pup be vaccinated against this disease before enrolling but again, I'm not certain about in the UK.

Kennel Cough doesn't always require treatment as it can be self limiting, but is treated with antibiotics if necessary.I would check with your vet about this.

Another possibility is that she's swallowed/eaten something that's irritated, damaged (or even got 'stuck' in her throat or esophagus). I'd take a look at the back of her throat, if you can't see anything your vet would need to use his instruments to look more closely. Pups tend to try to eat everything, and scratching their esophagus or getting a foreign object stuck in their teeth or throat isn't that uncommon.

There are also other possibilities, such as an upper respiratory tract infection (kind of like a cold in humans), or even parasitic infections (unlikely as she's vaccinated and dewormed), but still possible.

Overall, I wouldn't worry too much about this, but definitely take her to see your veterinarian as soon as you can so that he can figure out what's causing her to cough, and treat it if necessary.

Best of luck.