Squeaky / Gagging Dog Cough
by Lesley
(Dorset, England)
My 15 year old Maltese Terrier Charlie (male) has developed a cough with two parts to it, the first part - his cough makes a high pitched squeak which he will do about 4/5 times, then finishing with a gagging, which I do not know whether this produces anything in his mouth. This has been going on for about 8 weeks now.
I have been to the vet twice. He has had antibiotics and a steroid injection which as made no difference. He has also had some codeine as a cough suppressant, which also failed.
Charlie does have a heart murmur which my vet tells me is quite severe now. My vet always used to warn me that Charlie would eventually develop a cough as a result. However, my vet says that this cough Charlie has is nothing like the cough a heart murmur produces. He said with a heart murmur it is a loud honking cough. I guess that is his opinion based on his experience and another vet may be of the opinion that Charlie's squeaky/gagging cough is indeed indicative of a heart problem.
Charlie eats well and is happy, (except when he is coughing).
He goes for a walk every day and during his exercise he does not cough once!
Charlie's cough is worst after he has been resting. He sleeps in my room and wakes me up many times each night to have a coughing fit which lasts about five minutes and then he seems to know it has completed its cycle and he then starts scratching on the carpet to go back to sleep. Then a couple of hours later, the whole thing repeats itself.
During the day, he only coughs after he has been lying down.
The rest of the day he is not too bad. I have noticed that when I pick him up and put my hand under the barrel of his chest, this pressure makes him do the cough straight away.
He is a happy dog and I cannot have him put to sleep while he still has quality of life. He has loads of love and really good food and he has his sister Milly who he adores. She is fine.
I just hope you can give me a fresh new opinion on what you think this might be.
I used to have Yorkshire Terriers who developed trachea problems in later life, but they did a really loud honking cough, so I have convinced myself this isn't the problem with Charlie.
Think that's everything.
Thank you so much.
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