Strange cough/gag

Question
My dog is about 1.5 years old. She's a chihuahua mix up to date on all shots and on heartworm and flea/tick prevention. Her last heartworm test was in December and was negative. For about 2 months now, she has been "coughing" harshly and then gagging. I don't believe it's really a cough but don't know what else to call it. It almost sounds like she has something stuck in her throat and makes the "coughing" noise 3 or 4 times and then gags. She does this sometimes 15-20 times a day. There are also days when she doesn't seem to do it at all. It's not exacerbated by exercise. She actually doesn't seem to do it at all when we are on our long walks. I took her to the vet about 2-3 weeks ago. She also has a problem with reverse sneezing, as does my other dog, who takes hydroxyzine. The vet suggested I try the hydroxyzine for this dog as well. He thought perhaps the "coughing" was associated with drainage. Although the hydroxyzine has helped with the reverse sneezing, it has not changed the coughing/gagging. If you could give me any advice I would appreciate it.

Answer
Kelly  -

Those symptoms do sound like reverse sneezing. Unfortunately reverse sneezing can be somewhat difficult to treat unless we know what triggers it. Most likely allergens are the triggers, but almost anything can initiate reverse sneezing.

Because I have not examined your pet, I cannot diagnose her symptoms. However, if she is still coughing or gagging, ask your veterinarian to get radiographs of the chest.  Chest radiographs can rule out heart disease, which can cause a coughing/gagging reaction.  

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell,DVM