Dog coughing or gagging like something is stuck

Dogs often cough with a dry, honking sound that can end in a gag, which is why many owners think something is stuck in the throat. Common patterns include a sudden honking cough after time with other dogs, coughing with excitement or collar pressure in small breeds, and coughing at night in older dogs, while a loud snort with the head stretched out is usually reverse sneezing. Struggling to breathe, blue or pale gums, choking on an object, retching with nothing coming up and a swollen belly, coughing up blood, collapse, fast breathing at rest, or a cough with fever, lethargy or not eating needs a vet now.

General health information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your pet, contact a vet.

How urgent is it?

Go down the list and stop at the first row that matches your pet.

See a vet now

Struggling to breathe, breathing with the mouth open while resting, standing with the neck stretched out and elbows pushed out, or the gums or tongue look blue, grey or pale
Seems to be choking: pawing at the mouth, gagging and struggling to get air in, or you think a ball, chew or small toy may be stuck, even if it seems to ease
Retching or gagging with little or nothing coming up, especially with a swollen belly, restlessness or heavy drooling
Coughs up blood or blood-tinged mucus
Collapses or faints, or suddenly seems very weak
Breathes fast or hard while resting or asleep, or a dog with a known heart murmur starts to cough or breathe faster
The cough comes with lethargy, not eating, fever or a wet cough, especially in a puppy, an older dog or a dog with other health problems
Started coughing after breathing in smoke from a fire or fumes from chemicals or cleaning products, even if your dog seems fine

See a vet within 24 hours

Coughs at night or while resting, tires faster on walks than before, or is an older small-breed dog that has started coughing, even if it still eats well
A sudden honking cough a few days after boarding, daycare, a dog park or grooming, but your dog is eating, active and breathing normally: call the vet today and mention it may be contagious before you go in
The cough is getting worse, or has not improved after about 10 days

Watch at home

A dry honking cough that keeps coming back over weeks with excitement, pulling on the collar, eating or drinking, or hot weather, in a dog that is otherwise well: keep a log and book a regular appointment
Sudden loud snorting while standing still with the head and neck stretched out, lasting a few seconds to a minute, with your dog normal before and after (often reverse sneezing)
Coughed once or twice, for example after drinking fast or pulling on the lead, and is otherwise breathing, eating and playing normally

Not sure which row fits?

Describe your pet’s symptoms and get a free urgency check in about a minute.

Check my pet’s symptoms

Common causes

Cause	What you may notice	Usual urgency
Kennel cough (infectious respiratory disease)	Sudden honking cough a few days to two weeks after contact with other dogs; often ends with gagging and may bring up froth that looks like vomit; most dogs still eat and play	Within 24 h
Pneumonia (a complication of a respiratory infection)	Wet cough, fever, lethargy, not eating, fast or hard breathing; higher risk in puppies, older dogs and dogs with other illness	Now
Tracheal collapse (a weakening of the windpipe)	Dry “goose honk” cough with excitement, collar pressure, eating or drinking, hot weather or at night; most common in toy and small breeds from middle age	Within 24 h
Chronic bronchitis	A cough that goes on for two months or longer, mostly in middle-aged and older dogs, especially small breeds	Within 24 h
Heart disease	Cough together with tiring easily, less interest in exercise, or fast breathing at rest or asleep; most common in older small-breed dogs	Now
Reverse sneezing	Loud snorting while pulling air in through the nose, head and neck stretched out, over within about a minute	Watch
Tobacco smoke, dust or strong odors	Coughing or snorting around tobacco smoke, dust, sprays or strong smells	Watch
Choking or an object in the airway	Pawing at the mouth, gagging, struggling to breathe, blue gums; often during play with a ball, chew or small toy	Now
Bloat or stomach twisting (GDV)	Looks like gagging, but nothing comes up; swollen belly, restlessness, drooling; more common in large, deep-chested breeds	Now

What you can do at home

Walk your dog on a harness instead of a collar, and avoid neck leads, so nothing presses on the windpipe. If your dog is overweight, ask your vet about safe weight loss, since extra weight makes this kind of cough worse.
Let your dog rest and keep things calm. Short, quiet leash walks are fine, but avoid hard exercise, rough play and excitement until the cough settles.
If the cough may be kennel cough, keep your dog away from other dogs, shared bowls and toys until it has fully recovered and for at least two weeks after the coughing stops, and call the clinic before you arrive.
Keep the air clean: no smoking near your dog and no strong sprays or fumes. With a kennel-cough type cough, a humidifier or a few minutes together in a steamy bathroom may ease an irritated throat, but skip it if warm, humid air makes the coughing worse.
On a few calm days, count your dog’s breaths while it sleeps (count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4) to learn its normal rate, and film a coughing episode on your phone. Both help the vet.

What not to do

Do not give human cough syrups, cold remedies or other human medicines unless a vet tells you to. Some cough remedies can do harm when there is a chest infection.
If your dog is choking and awake, do not put your fingers in its mouth, because a panicking dog may bite. Try to remove an object only if you can clearly see it and lift it out easily with tweezers, and go to a vet right away, even if it comes out.
Do not assume a cough is only kennel cough or a windpipe problem in an older dog that coughs at night or tires easily. Heart disease can also cause a cough, and a vet needs to check for it.
Do not wait if your dog is retching with nothing coming up and the belly looks swollen. This can be life-threatening within hours.

What to tell the vet

When the cough started, how often it happens and when: at night, at rest, during exercise, with excitement, after eating or drinking, or on the lead
What it sounds like: a dry honk or a wet cough, whether it ends in gagging or froth, and any blood (show the video)
Recent contact with other dogs, such as boarding, daycare, dog parks, grooming or a new dog at home, and vaccination dates
Breathing rate while asleep, energy, appetite and how far your dog can walk compared with before
Any known heart murmur or other illness, recent weight change, and anything your dog may have chewed or swallowed, such as balls, chews or toys

Questions owners ask

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

A dry, honking cough that ends in a gag is what many owners describe this way. It is common with kennel cough and with a weak windpipe (tracheal collapse) in small breeds, and the cough can be set off by light pressure on the throat, such as from a collar. Reverse sneezing, a loud snort while pulling air in through the nose, can also sound like something is caught. A dog that is really choking struggles to get air in, paws at its mouth and may have blue gums, and needs a vet right away.

Why is my dog coughing and gagging, sometimes with white foam?

Harsh coughing fits are often followed by gagging or retching. With kennel cough, a dog may bring up froth that looks like vomit even though it was not vomiting. If your dog coughs this way but eats, plays and breathes normally, call the vet during the day and keep it away from other dogs. Retching with nothing coming up and a swollen belly is different: it can be bloat, which is an emergency.

Is my dog reverse sneezing or coughing?

In reverse sneezing, a dog pulls air in quickly through the nose with a loud snort, usually standing still with the head and neck stretched out. An episode lasts a few seconds to about a minute, and the dog is normal before and after. A cough pushes air out. Gently stroking the neck, or offering something to lick or drink, may help an episode end. If episodes become frequent or your dog seems unwell between them, see a vet.

Why does my older dog cough at night?

Coughing at night or at rest in an older dog can come from heart disease, a weak windpipe or long-term bronchitis. Wear of the heart valves is the most common heart disease in dogs, mostly in older small breeds, and as it progresses it can cause coughing, tiredness and breathing trouble. Count breaths while your dog sleeps: the University of Missouri cardiology team says the rate should stay below 30 to 35 per minute, and to call if it is consistently above 35 or rises by 20 to 30 percent over three days. Hard breathing, blue gums or collapse need a vet now.

How long does kennel cough last, and is it contagious?

The cough usually starts 5 to 10 days after contact with an infected dog and is often worst in the first 5 days. Most dogs recover within one to three weeks. Dogs can spread it before they show signs, so keep your dog away from other dogs until it has fully recovered. Call the vet if it is not better after about 10 days, if it gets worse, or if your dog becomes lethargic, stops eating or breathes fast.

Related symptoms

Sources

Tracheobronchitis (Bronchitis) in Dogs (Pet Owner Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
Kennel Cough (Professional Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
Clinical Signs of Respiratory Disease in Animals (Professional Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
Tracheal Collapse in Dogs (Pet Owner Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
Acquired Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders in Dogs (Pet Owner Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
Gastric Dilation and Volvulus in Small Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual
Tracheal Collapse in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals
Reverse Sneeze in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals
Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals
Everything You Need to Know About Canine Respiratory Illness, VCA Animal Hospitals
Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (Kennel Cough), American Veterinary Medical Association
Canine Respiratory Disease Outbreaks, Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center
At-Home Monitoring of Pets with Heart Disease, University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center
First Aid for Choking, PDSA (UK veterinary charity)
Kennel Cough in Dogs, American Kennel Club

Last reviewed October 25, 2026