Hiccups in Dogs

Hiccups in dogs are often cute for us humans to watch: and just as harmless for the dog as they are for people. In most cases they disappear on their own after a few minutes.

How do hiccups happen?

A hiccup is the involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle between the chest and the abdomen that controls breathing. When you breathe in, it contracts and makes room for the lungs. When you breathe out, it relaxes again.

When the diaphragm cramps up uncontrollably, the glottis snaps shut. Breathing in is briefly interrupted: this creates the typical "hic" sound. Normally the muscle relaxes within a few minutes and the hiccups stop.

Common causes

1. Eating or drinking too fast

Especially common in puppies: a dog that wolfs down its food too fast swallows too much air along with it. That air irritates the diaphragm and triggers hiccups. A slow-feeder bowl can help.

2. Fast breathing after romping around

After intense playing or running, a dog breathes fast and shallow. In the process it takes in more air than normal: the hiccups follow.

3. Excitement and stress

Excitement: at a reunion, while playing with other dogs or when facing new impressions: can lead to irregular breathing and therefore to hiccups. Just like with reverse sneezing, it usually disappears once the situation calms down.

4 tricks against hiccups

Hiccups usually go away on their own. If you want to help things along:

1. Briefly hold the nose closed: interrupts the breathing rhythm and triggers a swallowing reflex
2. Gently massage the larynx: relaxes the muscles in the throat area
3. Offer water: swallowing often ends the spasm right away
4. Distract: shift attention to something else, e.g. show a treat

Staying calm is the most important thing. Stress tends to make the hiccups last longer.

Hiccups in puppies

Puppies under 6 months get hiccups especially often: sometimes several times a day. The diaphragm is still growing and reacts more sensitively to stimuli. After eating, drinking or wild play they hiccup briefly, and after a minute it's all over.

A slow-feeder bowl slows down food intake and noticeably reduces the amount of swallowed air. For puppies that regularly wolf down their food in under 30 seconds, this is the simplest solution. As they grow up (from about 8 months), hiccups become rare in most dogs.

When to see the vet?

Normal hiccups last seconds to a few minutes. See your vet in the following cases:

• The hiccups last for several hours
• They keep coming back, e.g. daily or several times a day
• They are accompanied by vomiting, gagging or trouble breathing
• Your dog seems apathetic during them or refuses food

Chronic hiccups can be caused by stomach problems (gastritis, heartburn), respiratory conditions or, in rare cases, irritation of the diaphragm from tumors. The vet uses X-rays or ultrasound to check whether there is an organic cause.

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