3 reasons for a hiccup in a dog & puppy
A short hiccup... A slight wince.... To be honest, it's pretty cute when our beloved dog has the hiccups. The first reflex is, of course, to get our camera and film this cute spectacle. But then at some point the question arises: Are the hiccups a problem for my dog? If you still want to help your pet, here are some tricks and information on when a visit to the vet is necessary.
I can reassure you, because a hiccup is as harmless for our dog as it is for us humans.
How do hiccups occur?
Hiccups are nothing more than the involuntary contraction of the diaphragm during breathing. The diaphragm is a muscle that enables us to breathe. It is located under the lungs and separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.
When mammals inhale, the diaphragm contracts. Now there is enough space in the chest area for the lungs to fill with air. When we exhale, the muscle relaxes again and the air flows out of the lungs.
If the diaphragm tenses, the glottis (the opening between the vocal cords) closes abruptly. The inhalation is interrupted and we make a "hiccup" sound. Normally, the diaphragm relaxes again after a few minutes and the hiccup disappears as quickly as it came.
1. eating or drinking too fast
As a dog owner, you certainly know this scenario: Your protégé eats as if he were on the verge of starvation. And he's just been given treats and a bone to boot. Especially when your dog wants to romp with you again, the food can not be devoured quickly enough.
Inhaling air while eating or drinking at record speed will cause hiccups faster than your furry friend can eat.
2. rapid breathing
First we romp, then we bark at the mailman. Again and again, our four-legged friend exhausts himself. Breathing then automatically becomes faster. Too much air is inhaled and suddenly he is already there, the hiccups.
3. excitement and stress
Your faithful companion is always lively and playful. Whether playing with the ball, meeting new friends or simply going for a walk - every day is exciting. With all this hustle and bustle, it's easy to have a hiccup.
Especially often we can observe a hiccup in our young dogs. This is also quite normal. Almost every Puppy gets it once. Some more often than others.
Puppies are usually much more excited and playful than adult quadrupeds. They eat and drink too quickly and try everything. Within a very short time they wake up and are full of energy. It is only a matter of time before they then give a "hiccup".
In addition, their respiratory organs are not yet so well developed. This naturally increases the likelihood of hiccups.
Usually, after a few minutes, the hiccup disappears all by itself. Even though it is very sweet, after a while we want to help our four-legged friends get rid of the annoying "hiccup".
Similar methods can be used as for humans. However, you must remember that some tricks are not suitable for dogs. So you can hardly get your darling to hold his breath.
Also, you should not give him anything sweet, as it is not good for his stomach. The classic scare might get rid of the hiccups, but that would probably bother your protégé more than the hiccups themselves.
- Give drink - This calms breathing and relaxes the diaphragm. However, make sure that your furry companion does not drink too quickly.
- Breast massage- Your faithful companion not only enjoys the crawl, it also has other benefits. While lying on his back and having his chest massaged, breathing becomes calmer and the diaphragm relaxes. A nice way to get rid of the hiccups!
- Light exercises and movement - A short walk or playing with the ball normalizes breathing and the hiccups are gone.
- Smaller portions - To prevent hiccups from occurring in the first place, smaller amounts of food will ensure slow eating. Should your quadruped gobble too hastily and without chewing, you can solve this problem with a Anti-snare put an end to it.
During the hiccups, you shouldn't give your furry friend anything chewy, which will make him chew a lot. He could choke on it the next time he hiccups.
Under no circumstances should your pet be given medicine for hiccups that is supposed to help us humans. It could have serious consequences if the medicine is not suitable for dogs.
To find out the cause of frequent hiccups, you should observe the eating behavior. It may also be due to a particular food or dog food.
Normally, you don't have to worry about your pet's hiccups at all. It occurs in every mammal and usually goes away after a few minutes. In rare cases, however, hiccups are a symptom of a more serious illness, such as pneumonia, asthma, pericarditis or heat stroke.
A visit to the veterinarian is necessary if the hiccups do not stop after several hours, are repeated regularly, or if breathing becomes difficult or irregular.
My last tip from my own experience would be to keep calm and not let it show, no matter how cute and funny the hiccups are. Why? **You have to hand it to them: **They have a peculiar method of learning and persuasion that we usually can't resist.
So they can also stage a lot of things, just to be tickled nicely on the belly or even pitied.
You can break this circle by surprising him the next time and giving him water to drink or not doing anything at all. In this way, his consciousness learns to "cure" the hiccups on its own.
If the hiccups are serious, you will notice them anyway by the noticeable accompanying symptoms. Then you should definitely seek advice from your veterinarian.**
