A cough is a very basic protective responsive that your dog’s body uses to rid the airways of something it does not want to have there. This protective responsive causes your dog to attempt to expel air, initially against the closed trachea (windpipe). This attempt will produce a sudden and audible output of air that may also contain secretions from your dog’s trachea or lower respiratory tract. When your dog coughs, his head will often be extended and held low. Many dogs also finish up their coughs with a retch. Any persistent cough, severe cough, coughing in a young pup or senior citizen or cough accompanied by weakness, a change in appetite, difficulty breathing, or any other signs your dog is not well needs to be evaluated by a vet. Having the vet examine your dog is especially important since there are so many potential causes – some quite serious – for a cough. Below is a run-through of some of the most common causes of coughing.   

First, a cough can be caused by infections such as kennel cough, sinusitis, or even pneumonia. Coughs caused by infections generally begin as dry coughs and progress to wetter-sounding coughs and are sometimes accompanied by eye, nose or throat discharge that may be clear, green or yellow.