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My dog keeps dry hacking. What's causing it and what should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Catahoula Leopard Dog | Male | neutered | 1 year and 9 months old | 90 lbs

My dog has been dry hacking. He has had plenty of food and water and is on no medications. Any input as to what this may be about?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on October 27th, 2017

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Cody. Dry hacking/coughing can be caused by many things and it's hard to answer this without being able to ask you questions since the history is very important when trying to figure out why something is happening. Like if you said he was boarded, groomed, went to doggie daycare, was around strange dogs recently, I would then be thinking about kennel cough. Coughing has many causes including kennel cough, infection, inflammation, allergies, heartworm disease, parasites, laryngitis, bronchitis, irritation from a foreign body or something he ate, irritants in the air, toxin exposure, among many other causes. I always suggest that if something is wrong and it persists, worsens, or other signs develop, always have your pet checked out immediately by your veterinarian. They can get a good history, perform a physical exam, and then advise you on diagnostics/treatment. Possible tests could include fecal/blood/urine tests and x-rays of the chest and upper airway. Once a diagnosis is made or suspected, a sound treatment plan can be discussed and implemented. Good luck and I hope Cody recovers from this soon.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on March 4th, 2018

    Hi there! There are many things that can cause coughing like this in dogs, so it's hard to say what might be wrong with Frosty without being able to examine him and run some tests. He may have a respiratory infection such as kennel cough, allergies, bronchitis, a collapsing trachea, or heart disease. Since the cough has been going on for a week now and has not resolved, I would recommend taking him to the vet to have this checked. Your veterinarian can listen to his heart and lungs to check for any abnormalities, and may also recommend blood work or chest x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem.

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