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My dog is coughing/gagging and has red eyes that are excreting a lot of "eye boggers" what may the cause be?
Type of Animal: Dog (queensland heeler)Gender: FemaleAge: 5 Already Tried: Nothing
Hello, This could be something infectious like Kennel Cough causing the coughing/ gagging. They usually do not get red eyes with kennel cough but they can. This is best treated with antibiotics and cough suppressants. If you want to try something at home, you can give Robitussin DM- 1/2 teaspoon 2-3 times daily as needed. Allergies can also cause the signs you are describing. Benadryl is a safe over the counter medication at 1 mg/lb every 6-8 hours for allergic signs. If these do not help, you should get her seen and potentially x-rays of the chest and a good ocular exam to rule out other causes- pneumonia, heart disease, dry eye, corneal ulcers, conjunctivitis, ect. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Dog Veterinarian
DVM, Emergency Veterinarian, BS (Physiology)
The only time she really seems to cough is after she has begun exercising, and I think the coughing might also be caused from something "stuck" such as maybe a hairball, chicken bone, or possibly a fox tail (a bur). Do you think this is a possible cause?
Things don't usually get stuck in the esophagus- so bone/ hairball would be unlikely. If you're in foxtail territory, then this is definitely possible as they an become lodged in the pharynx (soft part of the back of the throat) and cause these signs. If it doesn't go away in 7-10 days or if it gets worse then an anesthetized laryngeal exam would be the next step.
Thank you for all of your help.
You're very welcome.