Young Whippet With a Cough for 3 Months That Is Worse When Lying Down

Thank you for your question. A cough that lasts more than a month in a young dog that is otherwise well, and that hasn't responded to antibiotics, is unlikely to be ordinary kennel cough. It needs a closer look.

Possible causes include chronic bronchitis or other airway inflammation, an inhaled foreign object such as a grass awn, lungworm or heartworm in some areas, allergic airway disease and, less often, heart problems. Coughing when lying down or waking can also come from irritation in the throat or airways.

Ask your vet about chest X-rays, a parasite and heartworm test and, if needed, referral for an airway exam (bronchoscopy) with samples, which can often pin down the cause. See our page on causes of coughing in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.