Hi. I have an 11yr old Rhodesian Ridgeback and he is persistently dry retching. It’s one, loud, bringing-something-up-from-the-deepest-darkest-depths type of retch. And it may be followed by another, and this happens intermittenly throughout the day and night.
We have given him a gravol to quell the symptoms, but of course, it does not rectifying the issue.
It’s not ‘kennel cough’. He doesn’t have the symptoms - coughing or wheezing, and he is with other dogs that do not display any symptoms.
Many years ago he would get a sticky palette and do the reverse-sneezing bit. That is where the gravol came in (or else he would (try to) eat anything and everything on the floor, including newspaper, wool socks, dirt…)
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. He is the most awesome dog ever, so I don’t want to see him in any discomfort.
Moving this to IMHO from General Questions. And since someone is going to ask: is there a reason taking your dog to the vet isn’t an option? That’s the obvious step here.
Never heard of “gravol”, but I looked it up and in the US dramamine is a name that is more familiar.
Sounds like your dog should be examined by a veterinarian, especially considering his age.
My last dog had similar symptoms and it turned out to be cancer. She started walking like an older dog around the age of 10. Vet thought it was arthritis and prescribed some anti-inflamatory meds, which did seem to help. Turned out it was the early stages of bone cancer, which metastasized to her lungs. Eventually, she developed a large tumor that encroached on her trachea and the intermittent coughing/retching started.
I hope this is not what is happening with your dog, but it is definitely something to look for, considering the age and breed.
Let us know what your vet says when you come back here. Eleven years old is no spring chicken for a big dog like a ridgeback.
Dogs with kennel cough may simply retch or sound like they’re choking - this is very common.
Also, not all dogs in the same household will necessarily get sick.
Heart problems may also present with coughing.
He really needs to be seen by a vet. Could be something simple (KC) or serious (cancer, heart failure.) I hope youir dog will be OK!
This sounds almost exactly what our 14 year old Chow mix was doing. He was in congestive heart failure. Please take your dog to the vet.
Thank you for the responses. I will keep you updated.
Same here. Our dog developed a persistent dry cough that sounded like she was dredging up something from the very depths of her soul. The very found that she has congestive heart failure (thanks to a prolapsed valve). She prescribed diuretics and vasodilators to manage the condition. Our dog is now much more comfortable.
Please take your dog to the vet. Even if the condition is serious, it may be treatable or manageable.
I am very happy to report that he was taken to the vet and the diagnosis is an inflamed trachea. The vet prescribed antibiotics and a steroid (temporary) and within a day, there is already a noticeable difference.
Thank you to everyone.
That’s a relief! I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious, and that your dog is on the mend! Thank you for taking him to the vet! 