What this means
First, watch the breathing. If your dog cannot breathe in, the gums turn blue, it panics, paws at the mouth or spins around, this is an emergency. If it settles after a few seconds and breathes freely, it may be throat irritation or a cough.
Many dogs look as if they are choking because of a cough or a gag, especially small breeds that pull on the lead or get excited. Such an episode sometimes ends with a swallow or a bringing-up of foam. If it keeps happening, note down exactly when: after drinking, eating, excitement or pulling on the lead.
If your dog had been chewing a bone, a toy or a ball, tell your vet. An object stuck in the throat is a reason not to wait.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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A foreign object in the throat
A piece of bone, part of a toy or a ball can lodge in the throat and block the airway. This is an emergency.
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Narrowing of the windpipe
In small breeds the windpipe can flatten, and the episode resembles choking or a goose honk, especially with excitement or a pull on the lead.
About the condition: Tracheal collapse -
A problem with the voice box
When the muscles of the voice box do not work properly, breathing is noisy, and after exercise your dog can look as if it is choking or start to cough.
About the condition: Laryngeal paralysis -
Short airway structure
In short-nosed breeds, soft tissue in the throat can get in the way of breathing and cause gagging, especially after eating or drinking.
About the condition: Brachycephalic airway syndrome -
Throat irritation
A grass seed, dust or a cough can cause short gagging or retching episodes that pass by themselves.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- When it starts: after drinking, eating, excitement or pulling on the lead
- How long an episode lasts
- Whether your dog swallowed afterwards or brought up foam
- Whether breathing is normal after the episode
- Whether the voice or bark has changed
- Whether your dog had been chewing an object or a bone
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if such episodes keep happening, are getting stronger or your dog takes a long time to settle afterwards. If your dog cannot breathe or the gums look blue, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Tracheal collapse Breathing Tracheal collapse is a condition in which the cartilage rings of the windpipe weaken and the windpipe flattens, making it harder for air to reach the lungs. It tends to get slowly worse over time, and excitement, heat, pressure on the neck or excess weight can make breathing even harder.
- Laryngeal paralysis Breathing Laryngeal paralysis is a condition in which the cartilages of the larynx no longer open properly when the dog breathes in, because the nerves and muscles that move them weaken. Less air reaches the lungs, and the dog struggles to cool down, since dogs shed heat by panting. If a dog is struggling to breathe, its gums turn blue or it collapses, it needs a vet immediately.
- Brachycephalic airway syndrome Breathing In short-muzzled dogs the nostrils, nasal passages, soft palate and throat are packed into very little space, so air has a harder time getting through. These dogs work harder to breathe than others, especially in heat, when excited or after exertion, and that can turn into real danger. How much it affects a particular dog varies a great deal, so their breathing is worth talking over with a vet.
- Kennel cough Infections Kennel cough is a contagious inflammation of the upper airways caused by one or more viruses and bacteria. Dogs catch it wherever many dogs meet: boarding kennels, training grounds, shows or popular walking spots. The dog has a loud, dry cough but may stay bright; what caused the cough is for a vet to establish.
Body systems: Breathing Infections