Why Does My Dog Keep Gagging?

Gagging, Coughing, Retching or Reverse Sneezing?

• Gagging happens high in the throat. Little or no material comes up.^1,2
• Coughing comes from the airways. A hard cough often ends in a gag, which is why kennel cough can sound like a dog trying to bring something up. A cough followed by a gag points to the airways or heart, while a gag followed by a cough points to the throat or voice box.^2,1,3
• Retching is the heaving of the belly that comes before vomiting.^1,19 Retching without bringing anything up can be a sign of bloat.⁷
• Vomiting brings up food or fluid with effort. Regurgitation brings up undigested food without effort, sometimes soon after eating.^19,20 See dog vomiting.
• Reverse sneezing is a burst of loud snorting as the dog pulls air in through the nose, standing still with the head stretched out. It lasts a few seconds.^21,18 See reverse sneezing.

Filming an episode and noting when it happens, such as after eating, at night or during play, helps your vet a lot.^1,2

Why Does My Dog Keep Gagging?

• Kennel cough: a sudden, frequent, honking cough that can end in a gag or bring up froth. Most dogs recover in one to three weeks. Lethargy, poor appetite, fever or fast breathing may mean pneumonia.^3,22 See kennel cough.
• A collapsing windpipe in toy and small breeds: a dry, honking cough, often when excited, picked up or pulling on the collar.^4,23
• Something stuck in the mouth, throat or food pipe, such as a piece of stick, bone, grass seed or fishhook. Signs include gagging, drooling, repeated swallowing and pawing at the mouth.^5,24,20,1
• Laryngeal paralysis in older large dogs: a hoarse bark, noisy panting and gagging or coughing when eating or drinking.^6,25,26
• Nausea from an upset stomach, often with drooling and lip licking before vomiting.^19,1 See upset stomach in dogs.
• Eating or drinking too fast and swallowing the wrong way.²
• Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), an emergency mainly in large, deep-chested breeds, with unproductive retching and a swelling belly.^7,8 See bloat in dogs.
• Heart disease: coughing and gagging, often worse at night or after lying down.^27,1,28
• Sore throat or tonsils, which can make a dog gag as if something is stuck and lick the lips or swallow repeatedly.^29,5
• Flat-faced breeds: a long soft palate and narrow airway can cause retching or gagging, especially when swallowing.³⁰
• Megaesophagus, a weak food pipe that lets food come back up and can lead to pneumonia.^31,20
• Other causes, including pneumonia, nose and sinus problems, growths in the throat and irritants.^1,32,33

Dog Gagging but Not Throwing Up

A dog who gags once or twice and then carries on normally has often just cleared his throat.¹ Repeated dry heaving, where the dog retches again and again but nothing comes up, is different. Treat it as an emergency, especially in a large, deep-chested dog or if the belly looks swollen, because it can be a sign of bloat.^7,32

Old Dog Gagging, Gagging After Drinking or at Night

In older large dogs, gagging or coughing while eating or drinking is a classic sign of laryngeal paralysis, which also raises the risk of pneumonia from food or water going down the wrong way.^6,25 Gagging and coughing at night can point to heart disease, especially in small breeds with a heart murmur.^1,27 Your vet may ask you to count your dog's breaths while asleep, which can help pick up early heart failure.²⁸ A sleeping breathing rate that stays above 30 a minute is a reason to call your vet.³⁴ See dog breathing fast and heart murmurs.

What to Do if Your Dog Is Gagging

• Stay calm and watch. If it stops within a couple of minutes and your dog is otherwise fine, note when it happened.¹
• If you can do it safely, look in the mouth for something stuck. Only remove an object you can see clearly and grip easily, and never reach in blindly. Expect that a panicking dog may bite.^9,35,36
• Never pull on fishing line coming from the mouth, because a hook further down can tear the mouth, throat or stomach; get to a vet straight away.^11,12 Leave string or thread alone too and let your vet remove it.
• Use a harness instead of a collar for dogs that cough when they pull.^2,4
• Slow down fast eaters with a puzzle feeder or smaller meals.^2,7
• A dog who is bright, eating and breathing normally can be watched for a day or two, but see your vet if the gagging continues or gets worse. This doesn't apply to retching or dry heaving.^2,7

If your dog seems to be choking, see dog choking: signs and first aid.

What Your Vet Will Do

Your vet will examine your dog and may recommend blood tests and X-rays of the neck and chest. A look at the throat and voice box under light sedation can show a stuck object or laryngeal paralysis.^2,1,37 Objects in the throat or food pipe can often be removed through the mouth or with an endoscope, sometimes with surgery.^38,16 Treatment depends on the cause and may include antibiotics, cough suppressants, anti-inflammatories, feeding changes or surgery.^1,2,22

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my dog keep gagging but nothing comes out?

Common causes include kennel cough, a throat irritation or something stuck. Repeated dry heaving is an emergency, especially in a large, deep-chested dog or if the belly looks swollen, because it can be a sign of bloat.

Why is my dog coughing like something is stuck in his throat?

Kennel cough often sounds like this. A real object, a sore throat or a collapsing windpipe are other causes. See your vet if it continues.

Is dog gagging an emergency?

One or two gags usually aren't. Repeated retching, trouble breathing, gum color changes or pawing at the mouth are.

Why does my old dog gag after drinking water?

Laryngeal paralysis is a common cause in older large dogs. Ask your vet to check.

Why does my dog gag at night?

Heart disease, a collapsing windpipe or kennel cough can cause night gagging. Count your dog's breaths while asleep, and call your vet if the rate stays above 30 a minute or your dog has any trouble breathing.