Hacking when excited

[simmons]

I need some advice from all the fellow boxer owners.................................
A couple weeks ago Crash started hacking when he would get excited. I know it's not kennel cough b/c both have had this and it's not the same.

Only when we would come home or start playing with his brother he will hack a few times. The vet examined him and said if it worsens to get some cough medicine. We picked up the medicine and for about 4-5 days he was fine. Then he started again, so I took him to another vet and they prescribed him "clovamax" (I think) and said if it worsens, he would do an X-Ray. I haven't heard anything for about 4 days and he started again last night. He woke up twice this morning and started, I've also noticed his throat tenses up and it seems like he's trying to breath, his throat is closed shut and his head his moving back and fourth wanting to breath. This panicks me and I just massage his throat and talk to him until it's over.

Does anyone have any adivce or know what this might be? I'm going to call the vet, but there probably going to say it's kennel cough or something.
Thanks!

Forgot to add that he's eating just fine

 

[crowpete]

Wow... Darby has been doing the same thing for the last few weeks. We have her on the clovamax also (for 10 days, 1 pill morning and night) and it does not seem to help much. She will hack/snort for a few days and then it seems to go away but come back a couple days later. My vet has told us the same thing... kennel cough but I do not believe that is what it is either (I have never been around a dog with kennel cough but I would guess it is really a cough and that is not what Darby is doing). She seems to have a runny nose alot but that has gotten a little better. I would be interested to know what your vet says if you do call them again.

I hope Crash gets feeling better soon.

 

[LILYLARUE]

Knowing it's not kennel cough ~ I can only share my experience with this. My Lily started this when she was 4 mos. I had her leashed on a collar. Well, my vet said there was a trachial bruise which happens a lot with the short nose dogs. I put her on a harness and it slowed down and now nothing. I rescued a pit and she was doing it too. I assumed she was collar leashed at the rescue, so I put her on a harness right away. Her's slowed down but didn't stop completely. I then went to thinking it was allergies. She does it mostly in the mornings and when playing heavy. We think she may have had some trachial damage from collars OR we think she was debarked cause she hardly barks and when she does, its very strained.

Sorry for the short story, but these may be some things to consider before spending big bucks on tests and such.

Start with using a harness and remove the collar all together. Most people don't adjust the collars properly so could be too tight and putting a strain on the throat.

If that doesn't resolve it, change to an allergy formula food. May take a month to figure out if it is allergies but worth the price of the bag and not an allergy test.

I would bet it's the collar if you tend to use one. They should always be removed when sleeping, eating or playing. If not for comfort, for safety.

I hope this helped somewhat.

 

[AbbeyRoad]

Look on this site for "reverse sneeze" sounds like what the original poster is talking about. It still could be kennel cough or some other type of upper respiratory disease especially if they are having any other symptoms like runny eye/nose, change in appetite or behavior, vomiting etc.

Abbey got kennel cough once and had that terrible hacking/choking cough. She also started doing the reverse sneeze another time when she was sick where when she would get excited it almost sounded like she was hyperventilating, but this was also due to an upper respiratory infection. It took her several weeks to fully get over, even with antibiotics.

 

[simmons]

Thank you for the replies!!! I actually thought it could be his collar so he's been using the body harness on walks. He is a big puller, I stop walking hoping it will help so were working on that. The only time he wears his collar is during car rides...(he has to have his I.D on when he's in the car.)

He's been using the same food for years.....solid gold with a little bit of home cooked mixed in. DO you reccomend a allergy food? No vomiting, exercise is fine, no watery eyes (just eye boogers)

I went home for lunch and no noise, it might have been b/c he was greeting me with a toy.
Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[simmons]

I just read about "reverse sneezing" and this is exactly what it sounds like.
My only concern is this happens at least 2-3 times a day and it says it's normal 2-3 times a month/year. I hope it's not an upper respiratoy disorder. Should I get him checked out at the vets office? WHat type of tests can they run to make sure he doesn't have a respiratory disorder?

 

[LILYLARUE]

Well the simple things are ruled out so I would go to the vet next and check for something respitory. I hope it's just a simple cough with the season changing.