What Are the Causes of Chronic Coughs in Puppy Dogs?

All of the cells in a dog's body require oxygen for metabolism, and the animal's respiratory system provides this oxygen to its organs through the bloodstream. When the dog develops any type of respiratory malfunction, such as a chronic cough, all organ functions in the living animal become affected, writes Dr. Alleice Summers in "Common Diseases of Companion Animals." Chronic coughing in both puppies and adult dogs needs veterinary diagnosis and treatment before the condition worsens and the animal's life is threatened.

  1. Aspiration Pneumonia

    • Aspiration pneumonia occurs when your dog inhales a foreign object or substance, resulting in inflammation that causes a buildup of lung fluids. The animal begins coughing, may run a fever and show some nasal discharge. As the disease progresses, your puppy may descend into respiratory distress and become cyanotic--showing a blue color to its gums and mucus membranes--due to the lack of blood oxygen. If any of these signs occur, your dog needs immediate veterinary treatment because aspiration pneumonia is a life-threatening condition, reports Dr. Bari Spielman of PetPlace.com. Treatment revolves around hospitalization with oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, administration of antibiotics and supportive care.

    Kennel Cough

    • Veterinarians regard kennel cough--also called tracheobronchitis--as the most-common form of upper-respiratory infection found in dogs, state the veterinarians of PetEducation.com. Typically, pets that get kennel cough have come into close contact with unvaccinated dogs or been recently boarded. Caused by a combination of bacteria and viruses, kennel cough results in your dog presenting with a dry, hacking cough that can last for two to three weeks. Animals may also show with nasal discharge and retching following a coughing attack. In mild cases, the dog continues to be active and alert, eating and drinking normally. If the disease progresses without treatment, your pet's symptoms may worsen and include high fever, lethargy, pneumonia and even death. Veterinarians treat kennel cough with a combination of antibiotics, cough suppressants and bronchodilators to lessen the severity of the symptoms.

    Intestinal Parasites

    • The life cycle of most canine intestinal parasites--including hookworms, roundworms and whipworms--begins when your puppy or adult dog ingests the eggs of the parasite. The eggs hatch and the larvae grow in the dog's stomach and travel through the bloodstream to the animal's lungs. Once the larvae invade lung tissue, the dog starts to cough and swallows sputum containing the larvae, transferring the parasite into the animal's intestines. Dogs with large infestations of intestinal worms often suffer from chronic coughs and need treatment with anti-parasitic medications, advise the veterinarians at Long Beach Animal Hospital. This parasitic migration can cause untreated puppies with large worm loads to develop pneumonia.

    Congestive Heart Failure

    • Congestive heart failure develops in both puppies and older dogs as a result of congenital (birth) defects, heartworm disease, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) and irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia). When the heart becomes too weak to pump blood to the dog's lungs normally and they begin retaining fluids, the animal suffers from a chronic cough, shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties. Veterinarians commonly recommend a diuretic (water pill) to relieve fluid buildup in the lungs and lessen the coughing. In severe cases, vets perform a thoracocentesis--a procedure that involves inserting a small needle into the area around the lungs--to drain fluids, advise the veterinarians at PetPlace.com.