Tuesday, July 9, 2013

How To Tackle Dog Hiccups

By Leslie Moore


Dog hiccups can be the same as humans - short-lived and goes away on its own. Aside from these, hiccups can cause discomfort and once you heard it from dogs, you can find it a little bit alarming. This is an unusual pattern of breathing caused by spasm of the diaphragm and bringing the rhythm back solves the problem. Even though it is common on dogs, if you feel curious about it you can check on its different causes and ways to relieve them from this little suffering.

Why Hiccups Occur on Dogs?

Hiccups occur because of many reasons. This is more common on puppies that tend to suck more air while eating and drinking which leads to spasms or distressed diaphragm. The more air swallowed means higher chances of having hiccups. Since you cannot do anything about it, you just have to let the hiccup go on its own. Stress and excitement also affects the breathing pattern and it may disturb the breathing process. There is a chance that a dog will suffer from hiccups if this is the case.

A sudden change in the temperature is another thing to blame for causing hiccups on dogs. This happens mostly on canines who love to go out and play under the hot weather and drink cold water afterwards. Gastroesophageal reflux, nerve damage, irritation and some central nervous disorders may cause long term hiccups. If this last for days or weeks, speak with your veterinarian and discuss about your dog's condition.

Treatment for Hiccups

Hiccups don't need medication. The basic strategy to relieve your dog from this is to bring his normal breathing pattern back. There are times when you would need your dog's cooperation which is the only challenge that you might encounter upon doing some of the treatments. You can ask your dog to run or walk with you. Quick stops and starts will help relax the diaphragm bringing back the right breathing pattern. Feeding your dog or letting him drink again may alter the effect if the cause of hiccup is sucking too much air while ingesting food and water.

Too much stress causes hiccups and it is truly heartbreaking to see them suffer because of that. Help them relieve stress and relax by doing some activities with them that they enjoy the most. Spoiling them a little will help bring back the natural breathing pattern driving the hiccups away. You can also try to startle your dog as shock and surprises can reset the breathing pattern. Just try not to get bit if you decided to do this. If the suffering lasted for days or weeks, something must be going on wrong with your pet. Visit their veterinarian and have their conditions checked.




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1 comment:

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