It sounds like your dog might have either kennel cough
www.marvistavet.com/html/body_kennel_cough.html
or canine influenza which is often more serious and lasts a lot longer and may include pneumonia
www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_influenza.html
Both of these are very easily picked up from another dog.
You can, if you think this is the problem, see if some Robitussin DM will help the dog breathe better and control any cough or sneezing or runny nose. Read here about cautions and dose info
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/dextromethorphan-robitussin-dm/page1.aspx
You can see and hear a dog with kennel cough here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amGKQX9zdug&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3RpoU0qXw
If you see a colored discharge from nose or eyes, if your dog coughs stuff up, seems lethargic, has any real trouble with breathing, or goes off eating, see your vet as your pet may have a secondary bacterial infection that will need antibiotics or other meds. Some dogs may even need antibiotics given in a nebulizer treatment to help them with lung infection.
If your dog has not been on heartworm prevention a heartworm infection can cause this sort of coughing.
Some breeds of dogs have problems with their trachea which you can read about here
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tracheal_collapse.html
And this could be a fungal infection of the lung depending on where you live or if you visited in the southwest or other areas with her. You can read about some fungal infections here
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/fungal.html
A lung/chest x-ray may give you more inf fo about what is going on.
Hope this helps you!
Thanks for the extra info.
Trachea issues can get worse with stress.
I was looking at your question again and you mentioned swelling of the mouth.
Its possible there is an allergic reaction going on to something causing the swelling and leading to the choking from that.
Dogs can develop allergies to foods, even ones they eat all the time, and to inhaled items, and contact allergens such as rug cleaners, cedar beds, or chemicals including lawn chemicals or even flea bites or insect stings.
You might want to try a different dog food that has no ingredients the same as what you feed now. Diets of Fish and Potato, venison, or rabbit etc. where the protein source is new and there are no grains in the food can work for many dogs for example. Another option is the hypoallergenic diet from your vet Hills ZD. Changing food does no good if you feed the same ingredients. Remember food changes have to include all treats and can take 8-12 weeks or more before you see results in skin and coat.
If this is an inhalant allergy you may find using a HEPA air filter in the room the dog uses most and wiping the dog down with a damp towel when it comes in helps reduce allergen exposure.
You might want to see if some plain Benadryl helps with the swelling - she may have gotten better before due to the steroid which also handles allergies. A common low dose is 1mg per pound of dog every 12 hours. Do check with your vet about using a med but this one or another may help her a lot. If you choose to use that please read here about cautions
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/diphenhydramine-benadryl/page1.aspx
You may want to consult with your vet and consider doing allergy testing.
The other thing you might read about is a larynx problem
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/laryngeal_paralysis.html
and more info here
http://www.godivalabs.com/LP.html
Dog Expert:Rescue, Train,Breed,Care
30+ yrs dog home vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior&training, responsible show breeding, genetics
If the throat is sore the 'hiccup' might be a reflex reaction to that or to a swollen soft palate or a tonsil infection as the dog tries to get the airway open.
Also check in her mouth for any dental infection signs such as tartar build up, broken or dark teeth etc as dental bacteria can cause throat infection and might make lumps on the face.
If she chews things - maybe stick splinters or bone splinters causing infection and throat problems? again steroids might knock down inflammation and antibitoics clear infection short term and then once they were done it would come back as the splinters were still there - maybe even porcupine quills?
Thanks for the above accept!