Our jack Russell terrier went to the vet and they said he has reverse sneezing, not kennel cough. He sounded like he was breathing in. Now he has a hacking cough where it sounds like he’s trying to get something out of his windpipe but nothing is coming up. Is it still possibly kennel cough or maybe allergies? Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Male | neutered | 11 months and 22 days old | 16 lbs

Either one is possible with a hacking cough - kennel cough would be most common in a dog his age, but allergies can certainly cause a cough as well. You may want to check in with your vet tomorrow since they just performed a physical exam and make sure there is no additional testing they would want to perform (such as a chest x-ray) with this new information. Kennel cough is often self limiting and no specific treatment is necessary since it is often viral, however your vet might want to prescribe some medications to help with the symptoms. An allergic cough is sometimes treated with cough suppressants or anti-inflammatory medication.

There is no way for us to diagnose this over the internet. We would have to actually examine him and see/hear what he is doing. The good thing is that neither of these things are extremely serious. If you are worried you should always take him to your vet. It is better to be safe than sorry. I suggest you watch some YouTube videos of dogs reverse sneezing and dogs with kennel cough. That may help you distinguish between the two. Reverse sneezing almost seems like an asthma attack (that is what people often describe it as) and kennel cough is actually a cough, usually dry and "honking". Hope this helps. Best wishes.