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My puppy coughs up water and mucus after drinking, is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 14 lbs

My 13 week old puppy keeps coughing after drinking water. Every time she drinks water she coughs up the water and some mucous. Other than the coughing she is completely normal and has no other symptoms of being sick. She is eating normally, energetic and sleeping as well.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 14th, 2018

Hello, sorry to hear about Maci. This does not necessarily seem to be associated with a specific issue. One thing to consider is that she could have been born with a congenital abnormality such as an abnormal esophagus. It could be much more simple such as Maci drinking water too quickly. Reason being is that she only does this with water and not with anything she ingests. If she continues to do this, then she should be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if there are any abnormalities. In the interim, you should raise her water and food bowls so that gravity can help ingest move in the right direction. Feed her small frequent meals over larger meals. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It could be that Maci is drinking the water too fast, and that is causing her to cough after drinking it. I would try giving her smaller amounts of water at a time to see if that helps. If that doesn't help, then there could be a medical reason behind why she is coughing after drinking, such as kennel cough or a collapsed trachea. To rule out a medical cause, I would make an appointment for her with the vet. Best of luck.

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