There are different sounds dogs often display whenever they are down, and it is always important that owners pay attention to these signs. If you have been noticing your dog sneezing and making a congested sound, you need to pay attention to it. Although congestion sound is not a thing to worry about; however, if it persists for too long, you need to take the dog to a vet.
Dogs sound congested for various reasons, including; sleeping in an odd position, adding extra weight, sickness, common cold, medication changes, infections, suffering from allergies, fluids inhaled during pregnancy, and dental issues.
As a dog owner, you need to understand that there is no need to panic whenever your dog sounds congested. Instead, what is important is for you to understand the reason why it sounds congested and ways to help it.
Why Does My Dog Sound Congested?
At one point or the other in a dog’s life, it is normal for a dog to sound congested. There are different factors usually responsible for this. Most times, it is not something to worry about and would stop in no time. However, if a dog continues to sound congested for a longer period, it could indicate something serious.
Understanding the possible reasons why dogs sound congested would help you know what is normal from what poses a health threat to your dog. We will be explaining some possible reasons why your dog sounds congested and ways of helping it below.
Your Dog’s Sleeping Position:
Just as we humans often snore whenever we sleep in certain weird positions, the same thing happens to dogs. Some certain sleeping positions could cause partial blockage of a dogs’ airway. When this happens, the dog could begin to snore and sound congested.
So, if you notice your dog is sleeping in an odd position, perhaps sleeping on its back, and it begins to sound congested, you do not need to worry about such. Most times, the sound stops almost immediately the dog goes back to a normal sleeping position. If your dog remains in that position for too long, you could also gently position your dog back to a normal position.
However, if your dog still sounds congested despite being in a normal position, it could indicate other reasons that may require having a vet examine your dog.
Your Dog Is Suffering From Allergies:
Allergies are another reason that could cause your do to sound congested. Some dogs suffer from seasonal, food, and environmental allergies. When down with allergies, it could cause a dog to display symptoms like hair loss, sneezing, watery eyes, and sounding congested.
So, if you notice your dog often sound congested whenever it feeds on a particular food, it is likely suffering from food allergies. For such a dog, you would need to ensure it does not feed on such a diet anymore.
However, in cases where you cannot detect the allergen, you can contact a vet to help determine the actual cause. In addition, to determine the actual allergen, your vet may ask you some questions regarding your dog’s activities, so ensure you give the correct answers.
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Your Dogs Medications:
Although in very rear cases, certain medications’ side effects could cause a dog to sound congested. When certain drugs are administered to a dog, it could cause the dog to fall into a very deep sleep, leading to sounding congested.
So, if you notice your dog always sounds congested whenever it is on a certain medication, you need to stop the medication. Afterward, contact your vet about the side effects, then ask for alternative medications.
Your Dog is Adding Extra Weight:
If your dog has been adding more weight lately, it could be another reason it sounds congested. Dogs that are overweight are very prone to having a collapsed trachea, which could lead to difficulty in breathing and sounding congested. Even in humans, when a person becomes overweight, there is a high tendency to have breathing issues.
It is important for dog owners to monitor their dogs’ weight, as being overweight could even lead to other health complications aside from sounding congested. A major way of ensuring your dog does not add extra weight is by limiting the number of treats your dog gets daily.
In addition, always ensure your dog exercises regularly and does not feed on table scraps or fatty human food. However, if you are unsure of the proper diet plan for your dog, you could contact a vet for professional advice.
Your Dog Is Sick:
When a dog is down with certain illnesses, it could lead to the blockage of the airway, which could then cause it to sound congested. Some of these illnesses include the common cold, pneumonia, and sinus infection.
For instance, when a dog is down with a common cold, its upper respiratory system becomes affected and could cause it to sound congested. The common cold does not usually affect a dog for long, and your dog would likely recover on its own without the need for any treatment.
However, if your dog keeps sounding congested for a longer period exceeding ten days, it could indicate more serious health issues like lung or throat cancer. In cases like this, you need to quickly to a vet for diagnosis and treatment.
My Puppy Sounds Congested
Just as sounding congested is normal in adult dogs, puppies could also get congested. If you notice your puppy sounds congested, it is important you ensure the dog gets urgent care; else, it could lead to other complications. Some of the reasons why dogs sound congested we explained earlier could also be responsible for a puppy to get congested.
However, a common reason why puppies could sound congested is due to inhaled fluids during pregnancy. If you have a newly born puppy and you notice it sounds congested, there are chances the dog inhaled fluids during delivery. The fluids could get stuck in the dogs’ nose and throat, causing it to sound congested.
To help such a dog, you need to get a suction bulb to get rid of the fluids. To do this, you will have to carefully place the suction bub into your dog’s mouth or nose, then suction out the inhaled fluids.
Dog Sounds Congested When Sleeping
If your dog often sounds congested whenever it is asleep, its sleeping position could be a likely cause responsible for it. When a dog sleeps on its back, or both its head and neck are not properly positioned while sleeping, it could lead to a blockage of its airway. When this happens, the dog is likely going to sound congested.
However, if you notice your dog properly positioned while asleep, and it still sounds congested, then it could be due to other reasons such as allergies, colds, extra weight added, infections, dental issues, or other illnesses. During cases like this, your dog could display other symptoms like runny nose, fever, coughing, and sneezing alongside sounding congested.
Once you notice any of these symptoms, it is important you have your dog checked by a vet to determine the actual cause of the congestion and possible treatment.
Final Thought
You do not need to get bothered if you notice your dog sounding congested, as this is quite normal, and the sound would likely stop after a few days. However, if your dog keeps sounding congested for a longer period, it could indicate some health issues. In such instances, ensure you contact a vet to have your dog examined.
Also read:
Shawn Manaher is a serial entrepreneur but when he isn’t working, he loves dogs. He’s owned different pets over the years, and always gives a part of his heart to each pet.
