Why does my dog sound like she has hiccups only when falling asleep?

Question

My dog is gonna be 2 in december, and she always sounds like she has the hiccups, but it's only when shes trying to sleep.. once shes asleep they stop. And she doesnt have it while shes up..shes a yorkie pekanese mix and suffers from a liver shunt. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 6.2 lbs

Destini R. Holloway, DVM · Accepted Answer

This doesn't sound like anything to be particularly concerned about, as long as the hiccups are not occuring all day long. Hiccups are usually caused by some kind of irritation to the phrenic nerve that leads to the diaphragm, so perhaps when she lays down, she is causing irritation to the nerve. It is quite odd though and isn't something we see very often in veterinary medicine. It isn't something that we can necessarily test for either or treat for in general. If you still want to look further into other possible causes however, then a referral to an internal medicine vet will likely be the next best step for Zelda. Even with that said, it is a good chance that this is a symptom that the vet will recommend benign neglect (just monitor). Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope that Zelda is ok moving forward. Take care!

Why does my dog sound like she has hiccups only when falling asleep?

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