Why is my dog Hacking every so often, kinda like hes having shortage of breath

by Jon
(Canada)

My 4 1/2 pound maltese who is roughly 2 and a half years of age seems to freeze up and start hacking like he's trying to catch his breath. he can do this for up to a couple mins and he just stands there while this attack happens .

he does have bad breath and lots of tarter build up on his back teeth due to his adult teeth growing beside his baby teeth. i have bought tarter spray and have been brushing his teeth once every two days. we buy him good dog food (Nutro, natural choice).

We did get this dog as a rescue dog so we have no record of his past but still went and got his first set of shots. Any ideas why he is doing this? i was wondering if maybe he has gum infection that has been slowly digested and is now effecting him ?







Hi Jon
If you're adopted this dog fairly recently and don't know much about his previous vaccinations, my first guess would be that he has Kennel Cough.

The Bordatella vaccine is what guards against this virus, but if he was already infected when he had the shot then he would still develop symptoms. Kennel Cough is most often seen in dogs who live with large numbers of other dogs (such as in breeding facilities, boarding kennels, pounds or rescue organizations). Dogs who are boarded even for a week or two can catch it if they're not vaccinated because it's very contagious.

You can check out my Dog Illnesses page to learn a little more about this condition. Basically it's a viral illness which is usually self-limiting (meaning that the pup or dog recovers on their own within a few weeks). However, there is always the possibility of developing a secondary bacterial infection, such as an upper respiratory infection like pneumonia and that is serious.

I'd recommend having your veterinarian check out your puppy to make sure that this isn't happening and then keep a close eye on him to make sure he is getting better and not worse.

Of course, there are other possibilities including other dog illnesses or conditions which could cause this type of cough, so you definitely need your vet to evaluate him. It's poss in his overall health, but whether or not they could cause these symptoms I have no idea I'm afraid.

Best of luck, I hope he's doing much better soon.