Why Does You Dog Keep Gagging But Not Throwing Up?

There are some phone calls that raise red flags for any veterinary staff member who answers them. A common call that would cause immediate concern goes like this: “My dog keeps gagging, but nothing is coming up. It started suddenly an hour ago and is getting worse. Why is my dog dry heaving like this?”

Read on to learn more about what you do if this happens with your pup.

Navigating life
with a new pet? Head to littleKin!

littleKin™ is Kinship’s home just for puppy and kitten parents. Bop over to check out expert advice, new pet tools, and special deals—all curated for your newest family member.

Get Free Advice

Your dog keeps coughing and gagging, but nothing comes out

Letting your vet know exactly what you’re seeing can help them figure out what’s going on with your dog. But it’s sometimes tough to know precisely how to describe what your dog is doing by watching them. After all, coughing, gagging, retching, and dry heaving can all look pretty similar, and they can sometimes occur one after the other. Here are some signs that can clue you in to each symptom:

• Coughing is the forceful expulsion of air from the lungs. Dogs will generally open their mouth a little but usually won’t fully widen their jaws when coughing. The sound can range from light, barely audible huffs to deep, chesty coughs that may sound wet. Coughing can produce a little phlegm, but this may not be seen because it is swallowed rather than expelled.

• Retching results from the reversal of the normal movement of the stomach and esophagus without production of stomach contents. Sometimes, they will throw up white foam. Retching is often dramatic, accompanied by a loud roaring or groaning sound and a wide opening of the mouth.

• Gagging is a reflexive contraction of the throat. It can be triggered by coughing, retching, or a large object reaching the back of the throat. You may see your dog’s neck tighten, head move forward, mouth open a little, and tongue protrude slightly during a gag. A gag is usually silent if it’s not accompanied by another sign.

• Dry heaving is similar to retching, but usually more prolonged. During an episode of dry heaving, dogs will posture as if they’re going to vomit and have repeated episodes of stomach contractions and attempts to expel material with minimal production. Sometimes a little white or yellow fluid will come up with the effort. This may sound like a retch or be a little quieter, similar to the repetitive clicking or ticking sounds heard when a cat vomits.

While some causes for these types of symptoms are relatively benign, life-threatening conditions need to be ruled out before your dog is given the all-clear. In a dog, coughing and dry retching without vomiting is often the first symptom seen with bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus or just GDV).  While not every dog is at risk for GDV, it’s important to make sure that your dog isn’t bloated before considering other causes.

Related article

Why Is My Dog Coughing?

Seven reasons to be concerned when your dog is coughing.

Why does my dog keep coughing and gagging?

During the initial phone triage and then in person, your veterinarian will consider many potential causes for your dog’s non-productive coughing and gagging. Workup for these conditions often involves a physical examination, sedated oral examination, or radiographs (X-rays) of the abdomen, chest, and/or neck. Some common conditions that cause dog dry heaving and gagging include:

Bloat

This is the big, scary one. For unknown reasons, a dog’s stomach can twist on itself, blocking the exit of food and gas. As food ferments in the stomach, gas builds up and the stomach gets bigger and bigger, eventually pressing on other organs and blocking the return of blood to the heart. This is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt treatment and surgery to tack the stomach in its normal position to correct. Dogs with bloat will retch repeatedly, bringing up little except white foam. They also show symptoms of restlessness, abdominal enlargement, abdominal pain, and eventual weakness and collapse.

Respiratory infections

Any respiratory infection can cause coughing, but one of the hallmarks of kennel cough is a dry, hacking cough that is often followed by a non-productive episode of gagging and retching. Kennel cough usually resolves on its own in otherwise healthy adult dogs, but it can sometimes result in pneumonia. See your vet to make sure there’s no evidence of pneumonia and to get some cough medication.

Pneumonia

Dogs with pneumonia often have a wet-sounding, deep, chesty cough. Bad coughing episodes may be followed by gagging if your dog’s gag reflex is triggered. While you may see some yellow or green phlegm come out —that’s good, you want them to cough up that lung gunk — dogs often swallow the mucus brought up during coughing episodes. Pneumonia is not always due to an infection, but vets usually prescribe antibiotics to prevent the bacterial colonization of inflamed lung tissue.

Foreign object

Coughing and gagging can be triggered by something caught in the back of the throat or in the trachea. It’s not super common for dogs to have foreign objects interfere with their breathing, but it’s very dramatic when it happens. Even if they don’t cause an obstruction, jagged or sharp objects can cause problems if they’re swallowed, resulting in coughing and gagging.

Tracheal collapse

In a tracheal collapse, the cartilage of the trachea weakens and flexes abnormally during breathing. This can result in a goose-honking cough and increased mucus production in the trachea from irritation.

Sinus infection

The post-nasal drip from a sinus infection can cause gagging in some dogs, but sneezing and reverse sneezing are more commonly seen.

Laryngeal paralysis

Dogs with laryngeal paralysis can’t move their vocal cords. This creates a restriction in airflow that can result in difficulty breathing and overheating. It also predisposes them to pneumonia and tracheal irritation because their vocal cords can’t close to protect the trachea when vomiting or swallowing. In addition to a change in bark and wheezing or harsh breathing sounds, dogs with laryngeal paralysis may cough more than other dogs.

Cancer

Dogs can have masses develop in their lungs, throat, or airway that can cause obstruction, irritation, and inflammation. Depending on the location of the tumor, coughing, gagging, and retching are all possible.

Dog breeds prone to gagging

Each cause of dog retching has some breeds that are commonly associated with it. While these lists aren’t exhaustive, they may give you some idea of the types of dogs that are predisposed to certain conditions.

• Bloat is classically described in dogs with deep chests like Great Danes and Doberman Pinschers. Realistically, any large-to-giant breed dog showing symptoms of dry heaving or retching should be suspected of having GDV until proven otherwise. Dachshunds are one of the few small-breed dogs predisposed to bloat.

• Laryngeal paralysis is also primarily a disease of large dogs, with Labrador Retrievers being one of the most commonly affected breeds.

• Tracheal collapse tends to occur in small and toy breed dogs like Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians, and Chihuahuas.

Brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs have a wide range of respiratory problems associated with their abnormal facial anatomy. Decades of selective breeding for unhealthy traits has led to a cluster of problems known as brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). BOAS encompasses many issues with the nose, nasal passages, soft palate, larynx, and trachea of these smoosh-faced dogs.

These anatomical abnormalities produce a variety of noises as these dogs struggle to breathe normally in their day-to-day lives. Gagging can be one of the many signs associated with this syndrome. Some predisposed breeds include French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pugs, and Pekingese.

Related article

Why is My Dog Coughing and Gagging?

Let’s figure out this unsettling mystery.

When is gagging an emergency?

Most causes of non-productive coughing and retching merit a visit to your vet. Because some causes of coughing or retching, like bloat, pneumonia, tracheal collapse, and laryngeal paralysis require immediate treatment, it’s always best to call your vet’s office (or the emergency vet) as soon as your dog starts showing symptoms. Some signs that your dog may be in immediate danger include:

• Non-productive retching

• Belly getting rounder or larger

• Abdominal pain

• Looking at their abdomen

• Restlessness

• Choking

• Wheezing

• Labored breathing

• Pale gums

• Weakness

• Failure of coughing or gagging episode to resolve after a few minutes

Bottom line

Non-productive coughing, gagging, retching, and dry heaving in dogs has many possible causes. While some dogs may simply have some irritation in the back of their throat, many causes for non-productive retching merit significant concern.

Even if you feel your dog is dry heaving but acting normally otherwise, it’s best to get veterinary guidance as soon as possible. This is one of the things you should call an emergency vet clinic about if your normal vet’s office is closed.

References

• Della Maggiore, Ann. “An Update on Tracheal and Airway Collapse in Dogs.” The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice vol. 50,2 (2020): 419-430.doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2019.11.003

• Krainer, Dorothee, and Gilles Dupré. “Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome.” The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice vol. 52,3 (2022): 749-780.doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2022.01.013

• MacPhail, Catriona M. “Laryngeal Disease in Dogs and Cats: An Update.” The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice vol. 50,2 (2020): 295-310.doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2019.11.001

• Van Kruiningen, H J et al. “Stomach gas analyses in canine acute gastric dilatation with volvulus.” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine vol. 27,5 (2013): 1260-1.doi:10.1111/jvim.12138