Shortness of breath, labored and hoarse breathing in a dog. The dog grunts when breathing - a harbinger of serious pathologies

When a dog owner sees that his pet starts to wheeze, it can't help but worry. Wheezing is a fairly common phenomenon, so do not immediately worry. But there are times when it indicates problems in the body.

Symptoms of the disease

In order to understand whether it is worth worrying about your pet's wheezing, you need to know if wheezing is a symptom of the disease.

Wheezing is often a symptom of many diseases.

1. Moist rales occur when blood or other substances accumulate in the airways. Breathing is noisy, wheezing is heard both during inhalation and exhalation. This may indicate diseases such as bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, pulmonary edema, pulmonary bleeding.
2. Crackling wheezing is best heard during exhalation. They occur when air spreads stuck together alveoli (this can be a symptom of diseases such as atelectasis, emphysema, pneumonia, and fibrosis).
3. If the dog breathes noisily (this may resemble a whistle), this may indicate the presence of a foreign body in the trachea, paralysis of the glottis, etc.

In order to accurately diagnose a pet, you need to contact your veterinarian.

Causes of wheezing

Wheezing has many causes.

1. brachycephalic syndrome. It manifests itself in brachycephalic dogs - pugs, French, English bulldogs, Pekingese, etc. Due to the shortened muzzle and flattened nose, it is difficult for them to get enough air. Wheezing in such animals is observed almost constantly, perhaps more active wheezing in cases where it is even more difficult to get air (during intense physical exertion, during heat, etc.).
2. Tracheal collapse. Decorative breeds of dogs (Chihuahua, Spitz, Toy Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers and others) are most predisposed to this phenomenon. This may occur after a sharp jerk or in cases where the dog choked and a foreign body got into the trachea.
3. Bronchitis or pneumonia. If these diseases are the cause of wheezing, you need to pay attention to the appearance of shortness of breath. This is one of the main symptoms of bronchitis and pneumonia.

If your pet is wheezing, contact your veterinarian. He will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

If you carefully consider the appearance of wheezing in a dog, you can prevent the development of many serious diseases!

When the owner sees that his dog is choking, it causes great anxiety. However, there are many reasons for this condition and it is not always life-threatening for the animal.

Why is the dog choking and grunting?

Most often, this is not a dangerous condition, which is called "reverse sneezing." It looks like the dog is sucking in air through its nose with sharp sighs and as if it cannot exhale. She stands with her head bowed, and it seems that the dog is suffocating.

They may even or even vomit itself. The reasons for this condition are not known to doctors. Such attacks begin suddenly and also pass, but they are not dangerous to the health of the animal. Another reason can be called dangerous - when a foreign object enters the dog's nasopharynx.

Such an attack is similar to a “reverse sneeze”, but it does not stop and threatens that the dog may suffocate. Also, the dog may choke and grunt. In this case, her tongue turns blue. Or fluid, air, or blood may accumulate in the animal's chest cavity.

Breathing can also be difficult during stress. For example, when a dog is afraid of fireworks or shots. In some breeds, the structure of the nasopharynx is such that they very often breathe very noisily, and also choke and grunt while jogging or playing.

What to do if the dog is choking, how can you help?

• During an attack of "reverse sneezing" you can gently stroke the animal's throat.
• It is also helpful to pinch his nose so that the dog opens its mouth and takes a deep breath. Then this "sneezing" will immediately stop.
• If the attack does not stop and there is a suspicion of a foreign object entering the nasopharynx or a heart attack, as well as respiratory diseases, the animal must be urgently taken to a veterinarian.
• However, if you see an object and you can pull it out yourself, it is better to act and try to carefully get this object.
• If the dog is choking with fear in an anxious environment, she can simply be given a sedative prescribed by a veterinarian.
• If this condition recurs quite often, it is worth undergoing a course of special treatment.

There can be many reasons why a dog wheezes, and they will not always be negative, but you still should not ignore such a state of the pet. The type of wheezing will help determine the disease itself, the degree and causes. Depending on the source of the disease, it can be the bronchi, trachea and lungs, emit wet and dry wheezing.

Why is the dog wheezing

Laryngospasm or laryngeal edema. The causes of its occurrence may be various allergies or the penetration of foreign bodies into the pet's throat. An attack is sometimes triggered by tightening the collar. At the same time, the dog begins to wheeze, as if choking, and on the onset of the attack itself, it looks furious and tries to capture as much air as possible with its mouth. In the process, the mucous membranes of the dog may acquire a bluish tint. In most cases, with a timely visit to the veterinarian, laryngospasm is treated without subsequent possible complications.

brachycephalic syndrome. Dogs with a small and round skull and a flattened nose (Pekingese, pugs, and bulldogs) are susceptible to this disease. The development of the disease for these breeds is a normal biological phenomenon due to the peculiar structure of the skull. You can diagnose the disease by the following signs: narrowing of the nasal passages, swelling of the soft palate and a change in the shape of the larynx. At the same time, the dog snores, breathes heavily, inhaling, clearly sniffs, and you can notice blue mucous membranes in her.

The appearance of tumors of the respiratory system. If the dog also coughs, this may be a signal of the presence of benign or malignant tumors. Bronchitis or pneumonia. During diseases of this kind, the dog very often coughs and constantly wheezes when breathing. There is a misconception that dogs are not prone to these ailments, but they occur in 50% of 100 possible.

Types of wheezing

Dry wheezing is caused by a narrowing of the distance between the bronchi, abundant secretion or obstruction of the airways. Exhaling, the animal wheezes much louder. Moist wheezing in a dog is a consequence of the accumulation of blood or other fluids in the lungs, as this slows down the air permeability.

Wheezing, more like a crunch or crackling, is called crepitus and occurs when the alveoli swell. Such wheezing can be with pneumonia or fibrosis. Wheezing, similar to whistling, is also due to a decrease in the lumen of the airways. It is found in brachycephaly, paralysis of the vocal cords and penetration of objects into the animal's throat.

Actions of owners in cases when the animal wheezes

Of course, when wheezing occurs in a dog, it must be immediately shown to the veterinarian. As already clear from the above, it is impossible to determine the diagnosis on your own. If the owner notices the increasing nature of wheezing in the dog and strange behavior, similar to an attack, it is necessary:

• Provide oxygen to the animal by opening the windows.
• It is strictly forbidden to touch the dog's chest. Especially if the animal lies in a strange position.

If the dog feels uncritical, it will not be superfluous to examine its mouth for the presence of objects that have fallen there. An animal in such cases can reflexively bite a person.

Treating wheezing in dogs

Proper therapy is prescribed depending on the cause of wheezing. This can be diagnosed using x-rays, bronchoscopy, and other options for viewing the throat. If brachiocephalic pathology, laryngeal paralysis and tracheal collapse, for example, are detected, the dog will undergo surgery to cure.

In situations of swelling of the larynx and laryngospasm, the pet is treated with medication. Sometimes mechanical ventilation is used. The presence of a foreign body in the respiratory organs requires bronchoscopy and removal of the object. You can often hear that you can get rid of the object in the throat of a pet yourself, but this is not always the right decision.

It is possible to get a foreign object from the respiratory tract only in those cases when it is on the surface, that is, it can be carefully removed with tweezers or a hand. But if it is clearly visible that the object is sitting very tightly in the throat, then it is better not to engage in amateur activities, because when you try to get this object, you can seriously damage the animal's throat.

With oncological neoplasms, therapy is built strictly individually, based on the stage of the disease and symptoms. Bronchitis and pneumonia should be treated with antitussives and antibiotics.
With pulmonary edema in an animal, intensive anti-edematous treatment is prescribed. In any case, it is necessary to establish the specific cause of wheezing. This will determine the success of the treatment.

Wheezing in a dog is an unpleasant symptom, both for the pet itself and for its owner, therefore, an appeal to the veterinarian in such cases should be carried out in the near future in order to avoid more serious complications or even death.

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Wheezing in dogs is characteristic of many diseases. By themselves, they are a definite symptom and manifest as pathological breath sounds.

Wheezing is divided into dry and wet, depending on the source of their origin (bronchi, lungs or trachea) and a number of other reasons.

Symptoms

Moist rales or blistering occur when blood, exudate or transudate accumulates in the airways and air passes through them with noise. Such wheezing is heard both during inhalation and exhalation. Sometimes they can be heard at a distance from the animal when a large amount of content accumulates in the respiratory organs. Such strong wheezing is typical for:

• bronchitis,
• pulmonary edema,
• pulmonary hemorrhage,
• bronchopneumonia.

Crackling or crepitating rales are better distinguished on exhalation. They occur when the air spreads stuck together alveoli, which is typical for atelectasis, emphysema, pneumonia and fibrosis. Dry wheezing occurs in the presence of a viscous secretion and narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi or trachea. More pronounced during exhalation and obstruction of the airways, bronchospasm.

Inspiratory whistle or stridor is noisy breathing that occurs with a significant narrowing of the lumen of the upper respiratory tract and is characteristic of BCS, glottis paralysis, and foreign body entering the trachea.

Why does the dog wheeze

A common cause of wheezing in French Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekingese, Boxers is brachiocephalic syndrome. This is a narrowing of the lumen of the nostrils and excessive growth of the palatine curtain, leading to a decrease in the volume of inhaled air. The animal almost constantly breathes with an open mouth, whistling and wheezing, and snores at night.

With allergic reactions, tracheal intubation, or foreign objects entering the oral cavity, laryngeal edema or laryngospasm may occur. Elderly animals have paralysis of the vocal cords and larynx, which is accompanied by shortness of breath and even fainting. Decorative dog breeds (Chihuahua, toy terrier, Yorkshire terrier, Spitz and others) are most prone to tracheal collapse.

At first, it begins with a cough, and then it is aggravated by shortness of breath, loss of consciousness. The dog may wheeze if he suddenly inhales some foreign body, including a piece of dry food. Neoplasms may occur in the respiratory organs, which is accompanied by shortness of breath and cough, sometimes with blood. One of the most common causes of wheezing, especially during the cold season, is bronchitis or pneumonia. They usually. Also, wheezing in a dog can occur due to pulmonary edema, which is also accompanied by shortness of breath and pallor of the mucous membranes.

Treating wheezing in dogs

Treatment directly depends on the cause of wheezing, which is detected as a result of radiography, laryngo-tracheo-bronchoscopy and other types of diagnostic examination. So for the treatment of brachiocephalic syndrome, paralysis of the vocal cords and larynx, severe cases of tracheal collapse, surgical intervention is necessary.

Laryngeal edema and laryngospasm are treated with medications that relieve swelling. Artificial ventilation may also be needed. If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract, bronchoscopy and endoscopic removal of the object are necessary.

When playing with sticks or small objects (buttons, balls), a dog can chew off and choke on a small part of the “toy”. Also, dogs, when eating meat products, can swallow bones from fish or chicken. All of these items can get stuck in the throat or esophagus. Every owner needs to know what to do if the dog is choking and choking.

Physiology of swallowing

Swallowing is a partially reflex act:

• Its first phase - chewing in the mouth - is controlled by consciousness.
• The second phase - directly swallowing - is a reflex act that occurs when the receptors of the root of the tongue are irritated.
• The third phase - the movement of the food coma in the esophagus - is also involuntary, occurs when the walls of the esophagus are irritated.

It is worth noting that in the second phase, when swallowing, the soft palate rises, due to which the communication of the pharynx with the nasal cavity stops. This reflex act is aimed at ensuring that food does not enter the trachea. However, everyone knows that choking can be quite easy. This happens to dogs too, although rarely (they do not talk while eating).

Blockage of the esophagus is a rather rare occurrence, since the pharynx is designed in such a way as not to let in an excessively large and hard food lump. But still it is possible, as dogs eat food quite actively and quickly. Most often, an incident occurs when dogs are fed fish or chicken bones, as well as when actively playing with sticks or small objects (balls, corks).

Dog coughing as if choking

You need to understand that coughing is a non-specific sign of many pathologies, so it’s impossible to immediately conclude that the dog was choking. To begin with, look at the moment the cough appears. If a symptom appeared in a pet while eating or when he nibbled something, then it is likely that he choked. Otherwise, coughing indicates other possible diseases.

Cough must first be distinguished from vomiting:

• With a gag reflex, the abdominal muscles are involved.
• When coughing, the muscles of the chest are involved.

Also, vomiting always ends with the expulsion of vomit.

A foreign object is indicated by the features of the cough and the absence of additional symptoms. Cough with bronchitis or another disease is necessarily accompanied by other symptoms. When a dog chokes on grass or another object, there are no additional signs of the disease. The pet just played and had fun, chewed on a stick, and a second later began to cough - this is a sure sign that the dog is choking and coughing from this.

Usually this type of cough ends with the object being expelled from the throat and the pet spits it out or re-chews and swallows it. Also, a sharp development of a cough indicates a foreign object. With pulmonary diseases, the cough increases gradually, initially it is hoarse and wheezing. If the dog is choking, the cough will be strong and sharp immediately, with no additional noises (whistling or gurgling).

Symptoms

First you need to determine the nature of the foreign body. When swallowing sharp or rounded objects, the signs of a problem and first aid are somewhat different.

• When swallowing sharp bones or cores of a strong toy, the dog shows strong anxiety, is not distracted by anything else. There is profuse salivation, vomiting may occur. In saliva and vomit, clots or streaks of scarlet blood are often found. The pet scratches its muzzle with its front paws, as if trying to free itself from a muzzle, sometimes it even gnaws at the ground (see).
• If a rounded foreign body is stuck in the esophagus(ball, nut, cork), then the pet has frequent vomiting, salivation, coughing. The animal may try to take food, but after a minute with a strong emetic movement, it expectorates everything back almost unchanged. Over time, on the second day, the animal's anxiety may increase, a painful reaction is observed when probing the esophagus.

First aid technique for a dog if it succumbs

When a dog chokes on food, the first thing to do is to calm down and not panic. First, assess the condition of the pet. If his tongue turns blue, breathing is difficult, then urgent veterinary help is needed. You can’t forcibly solder vegetable oil to a dog, because a pet’s swallowing reflex may be impaired due to a foreign body. There are special techniques that will help him, but if possible, it is still better to take your four-legged friend to the veterinarian.

In the absence of the possibility of contacting a specialist, you need to help the dog expectorate a foreign object. For large and small dogs, the technique of assistance will be slightly different.

big dog

If the dog wheezes, coughs, then stand a little behind the dog. Bend over and wrap your arms around your pet's body where the chest meets the belly. Place the fist of the right hand under the sternum in the area where it passes into the stomach. With your other hand, grab the elbow or wrist of your right hand so that both hands fit snugly against the body of the animal. Then you need to forcefully squeeze the pet's body in the direction forward and upward.

Repeat the squeeze until the dog coughs up the foreign object. After that, it would not hurt to remove the foreign body from the mouth so that the pet does not choke on the bone again. Usually 3-6 pressures are enough for the dog to cough up a bone or food. If you have repeated the movements already 10 times, but there is no result, then urgently call the veterinarian at home.

little dog

If a small dog chokes, then you need to put it on your knees and press it with your back to your chest. Put the fist of the right hand on the place where the sternum passes into the stomach, it is advisable to hold the head with the left hand. Press hard with your fist several times in a forward and upward direction. Also, after expectorating an object, it is advisable to remove it from the pet's mouth.

When it doesn't work

In the absence of the desired result from the above actions, feel the pet's esophagus. If a foreign body in the form of a seal is felt at the very beginning of the esophagus, then it may be possible to remove it with tweezers. Otherwise, you need to take your pet to the vet.

The dog's mouth is opened with the handle of a spoon or fork and the root of the tongue is pressed. The dog's head must be held firmly, it is better to ask for help, as the procedure is unpleasant, and the pet will break out. After that, they try to grab the stuck object with tweezers. The whole procedure is carried out carefully so as not to push the foreign body even further by negligence. Also, you can not get the object jerky, as you can damage the esophagus.

After retrieval, continue to observe the pet. If the dog shows severe anxiety when swallowing, and blood clots are found in the saliva, you should contact your veterinarian. Also, if the foreign body cannot be removed, it is necessary to immediately deliver the pet to a specialist.