Wheezing sound in lungs
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This wheezing usually gets worse over time. Rare primary cancers can occur in the back of the throat, leading to the same symptoms as a foreign body in the airway. Unfortunately, airways can also be compromised by cancer. Getting a foreign object out of the airway is a medical emergency, so contact a veterinarian immediately. As a dog experiences these sudden changes it can seem like they are choking, and the wheezing is often accompanied by distress, drooling, and coughing. Wheezing Related to a Foreign BodyĪn object that your dog has in their mouth can slip and get lodged in the back of the throat near the larynx, obstructing the airway and leading to severe wheezing. Heart failure is a medical emergency if your dog displays these clinical signs, they should be evaluated by your veterinarian immediately. You may notice your dog using their abdomen more to help them breathe. In cases like this, wheezing is often coupled with breathing faster. This increased force during breathing can lead to wheezing, though coughing is a more common clinical sign. When changes in the heart lead to heart failure, fluid can build up inside or outside the lungs, causing the dog to breathe much harder to get oxygen. For those with more serious clinical signs, there are some surgical options. Examples of this include avoiding strenuous activities, keeping them in air-conditioned locations, and using harnesses that avoid pressure on the neck. Severity of these symptoms can vary.ĭogs who are not severely affected can be treated with environmental management. Wheezing with this condition is usually accompanied by a “honking goose” cough. Due to the pressure changes inherent in inhalation and exhalation, the trachea will actually narrow at the weak points. Most noted in small-breed dogs, collapsing trachea is a condition where the cartilage of the trachea is weakened. Especially if the wheezing is accompanied by facial swelling or hives, a dog should be evaluated by a veterinarian immediately. Seasonal respiratory allergies are not as common in dogs as they are in humans, and wheezing during an allergic reaction in dogs is concerning because that could be a sign of anaphylaxis. Mild cases of infectious respiratory disease, where your dog is still eating, drinking, and sleeping well, may not need medical intervention, but prolonged clinical signs, change in appetite, or any of the above symptoms warrant a vet visit and likely chest X-rays to make sure antibiotics and other supportive options aren’t necessary. Heartworm can also affect how the heart functions and lead to symptoms of heart failure. Infections can cause inflammation and thicken the airways (bronchitis), but wheezing can also occur when mucus and phlegm buildup near the vocal cords. Viral (e.g., influenza), bacterial (e.g., kennel cough), and parasitic (e.g., heartworm) infections can lead to wheezing. Wheezing and decreased activity levels/lethargyĬauses of Dog Wheezing Wheezing Related to Infectious Disease
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Wheezing accompanied by appetite decrease Wheezing accompanied by blue or purple color change of the gums or tongue Wheezing that does not improve as your dog calms down or rests
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However, if the wheezing is constant, prolonged, or accompanied by any signs of distress or discomfort, it may indicate a medical emergency.Ĭheck your pet’s symptom Concerning Symptoms of Dog Wheezing There are a few benign causes of wheezing, such as a sudden increase in activity (especially during the summer) or stress that causes your dog to breathe hard enough to wheeze. Air flow can be obstructed by inflammation, thickening of the airways, or by a foreign object or mass. Most often heard as a dog exhales, a wheezing sound usually indicates that there is some sort of blockage of the air flow in either the trachea or the larynx. As a dog inhales normally, air flows into the mouth, through the larynx (the area of the throat that contains the vocal cords and is the upper opening of the trachea), then through the trachea before dispersing into the smaller airways of the lungs. Wheezing, also known as stridor, is a high-pitched, raspy sound made by turbulent air flow through the trachea, or windpipe.