Hearing someone cough can put us on alert, as it is often associated with a contagious culprit. But what about when our pets cough? Just as in people, there are more causes than just infections.
Coughing is an important part of the defense mechanisms of our respiratory systems. It typically occurs to attempt to eliminate secretions, infectious agents, irritants and other foreign material. A true cough is triggered by receptors in the airways, but gagging, regurgitating, vomiting and retching can all be mistaken for a cough. That’s why a full history, physical exam, and often diagnostics such as radiographs are imperative to sort out coughing from other sounds.
There are three main locations in the body that will cause your pet to cough: the upper respiratory system (nasal passageways and pharynx), the lower respiratory system (bronchi/bronchioles and alveoli) and the heart. While the trachea is technically part of the lower airways, we often include it in the list of upper airway conditions.
Upper respiratory problems can include infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites), tracheal collapse, laryngeal paralysis, foreign object obstruction/irritation, and tumors. The lower airways can also have infections, foreign objects, and tumors, as well as pulmonary infiltrates associated with allergies and fibrosis. If the heart is enlarged, it will press on the main stem bronchus (the first branch after the trachea) and stimulate the cough receptors. If heart failure is present, fluid will spill into the airways and stimulate the cough receptors as well.
As is often the case in veterinary medicine, it is important to point out that cats are often different than dogs when it comes to coughing. Cats do cough, but not nearly as often as dogs do. Retching and gagging are often confused with coughing; however, cats can retch after a cough, making it very tricky to differentiate! While dogs with heart disease will often cough, cats with heart disease don’t typically cough. Instead, most coughs in cats are due to lower respiratory conditions.
Trying to determine why our pets are coughing can be an involved process. It requires asking for a detailed history, including the onset and duration of the cough, the timing or pattern, if the cough is productive, if the pet has been in contact with other animals and if the pet is otherwise sick. Those answers, along with the age of the pet and a physical exam, can often point us to the problem. If not, diagnostics such as radiographs, bronchoscopy, CT scan and even sampling of the airways can help out. Then, treatments are based on the underlying cause.
Coughing in our pets can be scary, but it is important to know that there are many reasons for our dogs and cats to cough and that there are steps to take to sort out the issues and get the necessary treatment.
Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us by phone at 845-876-6008, or by e-mail at [email protected].
Thank you for choosing us to be part of your pet's healthcare team!
With warmest regards,
Your friends at Rhinebeck Animal Hospital