choking dog

my dog -at least once a day- just starts choking. she will choke and just keep doing it. some days are worse than others. i dont know why! she just starts chocking randomly. sometimes when shes done eating, sometimes when she is just laying down. today when i was at school, my uncle (hes visiting) had to take her to the vet because she did it so bad. he made it half way there and she stopped so he turned and went home. any ideas why she does this?

p.s. i tend to get worried about her more since my other dog died. i cant take to lose another.

:( That doesn't sound good. Please get her to the vet.

ok i will ask my mom when she gets home. i was just making sure i wasn't worrying about something that isn't a big deal.

I would have her checked by the vet, better safe than sorry.

yeah it sounds alomost like she moght have kennel cough maybe not but it sounds like it

yah it does sound kind of like the dog at our shelter that has kennel cough, but she doesn't do it as much. and its more like choking instead of coughing.

You should really get your dog to the vets..if she has this potentially deadly flu that's going around, and has been on the news, it's a matter of life or death. :( http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/dogflu.asp

i kinda doubt its that, but thanks for the info. i will ask the vet about it.

Do you walk her with a collar? She's a small dog, right? If you do and she pulls a little she could've hurt her trachea. My RB Dachshund did what sounds like what you're describing and that's what it was caused from. Other than that, I can't really help much. Sorry. I hope it's nothing bad though, good luck!

There is a condition called juvenile cellulitis(puppy strangles) which is as it sounds. Your dog may have that. It's usually for younger dogs- puppies mostly. I don't think you mentioned the age of your dog.

she is a just turned 1 year old toy poodle mix. and yes- she does pull so hard on her leash she makes hacking sounds. i really hope its nothing serious i will take her to the vet on friday. its the earliest my mom can get her there.:( thank you soooo much everyone for your fast replys!!!!

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Originally posted by dab_20
she is a just turned 1 year old toy poodle mix. and yes- she does pull so hard on her leash she makes hacking sounds.

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Even though this may not have caused the choking issue she has at the moment, please walk her in a harness. It'll be much better for her in the long run......

ok i will tell my mom. do dogs have an easy time getting used to a harness?

Quote:

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Originally posted by dab_20
ok i will tell my mom. do dogs have an easy time getting used to a harness?

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My Dachshunds didn't have a hard time getting used to them at all really, Tia (current one) walked sort of funny for the first few minutes and then she was just fine:)

Please, when you go to the vet, have your dog checked for the possibility that it has megaesophagus. The symptoms you describe are very similar as those for megaesophagus. It is not a common condition, so many vets don't know much about it. As a result, they often don't think to consider it as the reason for a dog choking after eating and during the night.

It's best to educate yourself first, and below are some places to read about it. You may have to educate your vet about it, too, unfortunately!

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_megaesophagus.html
This page has an animated description of megaesophagus

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/megaesophagus/
Read back through the messages here and check out the Files and Links. If you register, you can ask questions of the members who know alot about the condition.

http://www.geocities.com/bailey_chair/
This describes the Bailey Chair for dogs with megaesophagus, designed to help with their feeding.

A common cause for periodic coughing is roundworms. The worms migrate from the intestine as microfilliae thru the blood stream to the lungs. When the worms mature they migrate up the trachea (causing a reflex choke/cough), and then down the esophagus thru the stomach and back to the intestines. That completes the life cycle of the worm. So a first good try would be to consider worming the dog.

Another common cause is heart abnormalities, including the presence of heartworm. Other problems include tracheal collaspe/weakness, chronic bronchitis be it bacterial in nature or aseptic.

Your Vet will probably want to do the following:

1. Run a heartworm test.

2. Check for roundworms, and/or treat for roundworms. Sometimes a cough suppressent and/or short term corticosteroid treatment is needed to relieve any inflamation of the passages.

If the above doesn't solve the problem then ...

3. Treat with antibiotics, and a corticosteroid on the assumption it's a bronchitis condition.

Good luck.

well my mom wont take her to the vet. she says it is because of the chews i feed her daily. i stopped feeding her the chews yesterday. she hasnt choked since. and today we went to walmart and got her a new harness. my mom is putting it on her now to see if it fits. thanks so much everyone, your all so kind. i can always count on pt! we will give a vet a call this weekend and see what they say.

Sounds Like Kennel Cough

a dog at the humane society has kennel cough, it doesnt sound like molli's coughing. besides she is never around other dogs. she has stopped choking for about 3 days now. it was the chews. we got her greenies when we went to petsmart last night. thanks everyone though. :) i am glad it wasnt too serious

This sounds like signs of an elongated Uluvia? (spelling not correct). It is that thing that hangs down in the back of your throat. It can be longer in some animals and can cause issues with their breathing. The diagnoses can be seen when the animal is under any kind of sedation. Especially during another type surgery. The vet may be able to see if the Ulovia it too long when they put the breathing tube in.
If you haven't had the dog fixed yet, I would ask them to look at it when that surgery is done. That may be the best time to check. Otherwise using the harness and less the chew toys is a good thing. Avoid chicken bones as well.

ok, we are getting her fixed before winter. thanks!