slight cough/hack

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

My dog has started to have a slight cough/hack, similar to what a cat with a hair ball sounds like. It's not excessively strong, nor is he coughing anything up. My understanding of kennel cough is it is stronger than what I am describing. My original thought was that his choker caused this. I have since switched to a prong. We have a vet appointment for saturday, to get his final boosters but I wanted your opinions.
Thanks
Joe

[GatorBytes]

Not sure what it could be,
But hold off on the boosters until you know, if this is viral then booster may exacerbate this.
Your vet may say it's fine...it is not. Ask to see the manufacture's insert from the vaccine if he/she insists it's fine...the insert states to only give in a healthy animal...you don't want to have to deal with an adverse reaction (check helath threads of late - one dog died, another was vomiting blood).
If vet still won't comply, tell them that vax can wait - the antibodies aren't going anywhere....then ask him/her to sign a waver that they will pay all treatments to any adverse reaction....but then again why would you want your dog to even go through something or the even possible worst case scenario
Especailly don't do kennel cough vax....Don't do any at this time

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

How old is your dog?

[Gretchen]

I've never had a dog with a cough, so it's hard to know. It could be many things: asthma, a virus, parasites, heart or lung issues, or as you suspected a physical injury.

Until you see the vet, just keep a diary of when the cough happens and what is sounds like, dry or moist and productive.

[1sttimeforgsd]

Just wanted to say hope that your puppy feels better soon.

[Magwart]

When was your last heartworm test? Texas is HW territory, as you probably know. Even if you have the dog on preventative, I'd have it rechecked (the blood test that gets sent away to a lab is more accurate and sensitive than the instant "snap" tests).

Kennel cough often has a runny nose associated with it (and usually goopy eyes too) -- at least that's what I see in shelters and with fosters.

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

Yoschi is four months old... I have never checked him for heart worms, but he is on prevention... like I said its not strong.. mostly like he's clearing his throat, rarely a bit stronger. Ill see if the vet has anything to say about it..
Thanks
Joe

[Rerun]

Sounds like kennel cough. It starts out mild and gets worse as the days go by. Don't vaccinate him while he's sick - but a check up is in order.

I personally (and most I know that I would trust for training advice) wouldn't use a training collar on a 4 month old puppy either. But unless you have been very harsh with the collar correction wise, or the coughing is only happening when corrected with the collar, that likely isn't the problem.

Usually, puppies aren't checked for heartworms because the worms are so young (even if they got them from mom) that preventative meds kill the baby worms. Puppies aren't checked by any of my vets until at least 6 months of age, and even then, until they are about a year they usually just do the slow kill anyway (which is simply giving heartworm preventative). A puppy won't be coughing from heartworms at 4 months old. They would have to be very advanced to get to that point.

[Lilie]

When does he cough/hack? While he's eating? While he's on a lead? While he is resting? Or all the time?

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

Originally Posted by Lilie

When does he cough/hack? While he's eating? While he's on a lead? While he is resting? Or all the time?

He coughs while resting and on the lead