Every dog owner is probably familiar with this: The four-legged friend has just eaten or drunk or is lying quietly in his place and suddenly he makes strange chuckling noises. When the dog hiccups, it’s often quite funny to watch when the fur nose suddenly shakes briefly and a hiccup can be heard. As a rule, this is no cause for concern, because just like us humans, hiccups in dogs are usually completely harmless. In this article, you will learn all about hiccups in dogs.
Why Do Dogs Hiccup?
To understand how hiccups develop, a brief excursion into canine anatomy is helpful:
Between the thoracic and abdominal cavities lies a thin but broad muscle, the diaphragm. It is the main respiratory muscle – when it contracts, air goes into the lungs, when it expands, the air is pushed out again. If this regular movement of the diaphragm is disturbed, for example, because a full stomach is pressing against it or another sudden nerve stimulus occurs, the muscle contracts suddenly and the air is sucked into the lungs. At the same time, however, the glottis on the larynx closes reflexively, the incoming air collides with an obstacle and there is a clearly audible hiccup. Now the otherwise so regular breathing is “out of the rut” for a while, the hiccups continue and only calm down when the breathing movements normalize again.
Common reasons that lead to hiccups in dogs include:
- Eating or drinking very quickly (this involves swallowing a lot of air)
- A very full stomach pressing against the diaphragm
- Drinking very cold water
- Excitement or excited play with rapid breathing
- Stress or anxiety can also trigger hiccups
Why does my dog hiccup so often?
It is normal for puppies and young dogs to hiccup more frequently, especially after they have just eaten and swallowed a lot of air. If the dog is older and still or suddenly has frequent hiccups, the vet should look for a possible cause.
Hiccups in puppies
The younger a dog is, the more likely it is to hiccup. This happens particularly often with very young puppies that are still being suckled by the mother dog. On the one hand, they always swallow some air when drinking, which inflates the stomach, which then presses against the diaphragm. On the other hand, puppies also play a lot more than older dogs, so the hectic play movements can also cause air to get into the stomach. As soon as the little dog calms down and breathing returns to normal, the hiccups will be gone.
In fact, even unborn puppies in the womb get hiccups from time to time. Possibly these are already the first preparatory exercises for later independent breathing because at this stage the fetuses are still supplied with oxygen from the mother’s blood via the umbilical cord and do not breathe themselves. The hiccup reflex trains the later so important respiratory muscles.
A heavy infestation with worms, which occurs above all in puppies from mass housing or under poor hygienic conditions, can also lead to increased gas formation in the stomach and theoretically also trigger hiccups. More often, however, puppies with severe worms show symptoms such as coughing, choking, or vomiting, and in the worst case, they can become seriously ill or even die.
What do dog hiccups sound like?
Just like in humans, the hiccuping sound in dogs is caused by the reflex contraction of the diaphragmatic respiratory muscles while the glottis on the larynx is simultaneously closing. The inhaled air literally hits an obstacle and causes the typical hiccups.
Are dog hiccups dangerous?
In most cases, hiccups in dogs are harmless and will go away on their own. However, there are also some diseases or health conditions that can lead to frequent hiccups in older dogs too. However, other symptoms often appear as well. If this is the case, the vet should be consulted.
The following pathological changes can lead to frequent hiccups:
- Tumor diseases (especially in the abdomen or near the diaphragm)
- Respiratory diseases (including pneumonia or asthma)
- Nerve disorders (e.g. inflammation of the phrenic nerve, which runs through the diaphragm)
- Diseases of the brain or meninges
- Stomach ulcers or gastric mucosal inflammation
diseases of the heart - Poisoning
- Hiatal hernia (i.e., a deformity of the diaphragm where all or part of the stomach
- Protrudes into the chest cavity
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
Is It Dangerous When Dogs Hiccup?
In most cases, hiccups in dogs are harmless and usually go away on their own after a short time. However, if full-grown, older dog hiccups frequently and for a long time, an illness can also be the reason. In these cases, the dog should be examined by the veterinarian.
Diagnosis and treatment of frequent hiccups
If there is a suspicion that the frequent hiccups in a dog are due to illness, the veterinarian will take a thorough anamnesis (questioning the dog owner about the previous history), a clinical examination of the dog, and further diagnostics.
During the general clinical examination, larger increases in circumference in the chest or abdominal area can often already be felt. In this way, tumors, but also inflammatory processes such as an abscess or pancreatitis can be further clarified as an initial suspicion. By creating a blood count in the laboratory, certain inflammatory parameters can be detected, for example, which occur more frequently in the case of pancreatitis or other inflammatory processes in the body.
More precise procedures such as examinations using ultrasound or X-rays provide further information about the possible causes. The veterinarian can also identify or rule out a rupture of the diaphragm (hernia).
In order to diagnose a disease of the nervous system or brain, in addition to examining the dog’s normal reflexes and movements, special examinations such as a check of the cerebrospinal fluid may also be necessary. A specialized veterinarian should be consulted for this.
How do you get rid of the hiccups?
In most cases, the hiccups will stop on their own after a short time. You can try to distract your dog by gently blowing on it – pausing for a moment will often normalize the dog’s breathing and stop the hiccups.
Can Dog Hiccups Be Prevented?
If a medical reason for the hiccups that often occur in dogs has been found, the pathological cause must of course be treated. The therapy depends on the type of underlying disease. In the case of persistent, uncontrollable hiccups, which significantly affect the dog and also make normal breathing extremely difficult, the nerve that stimulates the diaphragm can be temporarily disabled with medication.
However, if it is a completely normal hiccup that is not caused by another underlying disease, treatment is not necessary, as it will disappear on its own after a short time. Giving puppies and young dogs several smaller portions of food throughout the day can prevent them from eating too quickly or from filling their stomachs too full and swallowing air at the same time. Both food and water should always be slightly tempered and not fresh from the refrigerator. Targeted training can also help to teach the dog to absorb its food or water more slowly.
However, if the hiccups have struck again, similar tricks that we like to try out for humans can help: Distraction leads to a brief pause, the breathing muscles can relax, and the hiccups are over. A friendly massage of the puppy’s small belly and/or chest, a careful blow on the dog behind the ear or in the neck area often works to get the four-legged friend out of the situation and end the tiresome hiccup.
