What Causes My 16 Year Old Dog to Have a Constant Dry Cough?

When a dog's throat, lungs or airways become irritated, it leads to a cough. A senior 16-year-old dog suffering with a frequent, dry cough that does not produce consistent mucous or phlegm, may suffer from a variety of medical conditions. Take your dog to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying illness causing its dry cough.

  1. Kennel Cough

    • Kennel cough describes a condition caused by a combination of bacterial and viral infections. This canine form of bronchitis causes inflammation of the dog's voicebox and windpipe, and a persistent dry cough, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A senior dog can catch this highly-contagious disease at a daycare facility, boarding kennel, or a dog park. If your dog is not current on its vaccinations to parainfluenza, bordetella and adenovirus-2, it is more likely to catch kennel cough. To treat this disease in an older dog, your veterinarian may recommend the use of antibiotics to prevent the infection from turning into pneumonia.

    Tracheal Collapse

    • Tracheal collapse primarily affects older, overweight, small-breed dogs, such as Yorkshire terriers, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, poodles and Maltese, says Dr. Arnold Plotnick of PetPlace.com. This disease obstructs the airways, causing a dry cough that sounds like a goose honk. If your geriatric dog coughs in spasms and the condition worsens during exercise, it could indicate tracheal collapse. Treatment includes a weight-loss regimen, the administration of steriods, antibiotics or sedatives and, in severe cases, surgery. When walking your dog, prevent gagging and worsening of the condition by using a harness instead of a collar.

    Heart Disease

    • Chronic valvular heart disease involves the degeneration and thickening of the heart valves. This progressive disease affects older dogs, usually from smaller breeds, including poodles, Yorkshire terriers, schnauzers, cocker spaniels and mixed-breeds, according to PetPlace.com. The disease leads to enlargement of the dog's heart, that puts pressure on its airways, causing a dry cough. Chronic valvular heart disease may also cause the heart to fail and lead to edema of the lungs if not treated. A veterinarian diagnoses this condition with an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram. Treatment includes the administration of diuretics, angiotensin inhibitors, positive inotropic drugs and a salt-restricted diet, states PetPlace.com.

    Lung Cancer

    • In a 16-year-old dog, a veterinarian will consider the possibility of lung cancer as the cause of your dog's dry cough, due to the dog's age. Lung cancer usually originates in another organ and is transferred to the lungs through the blood flow between the lungs and the affected organ, according to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. A blood profile and chest X-rays will help identify if cancer is the cause of the dog's cough. Treatment includes surgery to remove any singular tumors that originate in the lungs, or the use of anticancer medications to control the spread of the disease.