My dog coughs when he drinks

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Hi everyone, we have a little one-year-old Jack Russell. He's our absolute world and we adore him.

The problem is, whenever he drinks, he coughs as if it's gone down the wrong way every single time. He does it when he drinks a lot at once. The vet thinks he might have a bit of a malformation, but nothing serious.

I'm not doubting their judgement at all, it just breaks my heart to hear him coughing his head off every time he has a drink. Even though the vet is lovely, they didn’t actually run any tests or anything...

Has anyone else experienced this?

I should mention that we've already tried using raised bowls.

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    Thanks for your reply, Julie.

    He doesn't make any noise when he breathes and he's definitely not struggling with exercise – quite the opposite, actually! He already uses a harness.

    I'm going to book an appointment with the vet to get an X-ray done.

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    ProvetoJuniorConseil
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    Hi, there are many different reasons why a dog might be coughing. Does he have any other symptoms? For example, a loud noise when he breathes, or any exercise intolerance?

    Generally, a cough triggered by drinking can suggest an abnormal narrowing of the windpipe (common in small dogs) or perhaps laryngeal paralysis (more common in larger breeds), but these are just possibilities. You could ask your vet to perform a laryngoscopy to get a closer look at the larynx, or a chest X-ray to check the trachea and ensure the lungs are healthy, as sometimes swallowing the wrong way can lead to pneumonia.

    I’d recommend using a harness instead of a collar from now on to avoid triggering a coughing fit.

    Hope this helps,

    Best wishes,

    Julie

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