# Dog is terrified of coughing



## poppiesonthetrack (Jun 6, 2014)

I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who turns 14 next month. We've had her from a puppy and she has always had an anxious personality. However, in the last year she has developed an increasingly intense fear of coughing (and of sniffing to a lesser extent). Her hearing has deteriorated a lot and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the fear -- perhaps these sounds are much more sudden to her than they used to be, or maybe they just sound really weird now? Otherwise I have no idea what has caused this!

Anyway, I am writing this at 3:30am because I am desperate! I have severe allergies at the moment and my doctor is trying to find the right medication to help me. In the meantime I cough and sniff a lot and the poor dog is in bits. During the day she can just go upstairs and get away from me if I cough, where I just leave her to calm down. But at night she has to stay in my room otherwise she disturbs other family members. Tonight has been unbearable and she is a wreck -- shaking and panting. I feel so bad for her.

For now I have shut her downstairs away from me but she also gets separation anxiety so I don't know how long she will tolerate that for!

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this or fix it? I don't even know where to start! She has become pretty "crazy" over the last year too and is very hard to deal with now, to be honest -- very set in her ways, doesn't seem to care about behaving anymore etc! Otherwise she seems fine -- she sleeps a lot, still loves her food, still loves to play, gets excited about going for walks. I really want to help her with this -- it has become a major issue.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Hi you need to go to a vet to discuss this and preferably one who is also a behaviourist.

Otherwise the vet will refer you to an appropriately qualified behaviourist

The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour - ASAB

You and your dog need professional help in order to remove the stress you are both suffering.

Good luck


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## poppiesonthetrack (Jun 6, 2014)

Thank you.

Are there any suggestions for things I could try myself first? I'm not sure I could afford a behaviourist. I am willing to put the work in myself.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

She really needs a thorough vet check before assuming this is a behavioural issue. At 14 and going by what you've said about her acting "crazy" it could well be some sort of canine senility type of thing rather than a behavioural issue as such.


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## poppiesonthetrack (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks. I have thought of that but can the vet do anything if that is the case? She is more afraid of the vet than she is of coughing so I really want to avoid putting her through that if they're actually not going to be able to do anything.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

poppiesonthetrack said:


> I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who turns 14 next month. We've had her from a puppy and she has always had an anxious personality. However, in the last year she has developed an increasingly intense fear of coughing (and of sniffing to a lesser extent). Her hearing has deteriorated a lot and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the fear -- perhaps these sounds are much more sudden to her than they used to be, or maybe they just sound really weird now? Otherwise I have no idea what has caused this!
> 
> Anyway, I am writing this at 3:30am because I am desperate! I have severe allergies at the moment and my doctor is trying to find the right medication to help me. In the meantime I cough and sniff a lot and the poor dog is in bits. During the day she can just go upstairs and get away from me if I cough, where I just leave her to calm down. But at night she has to stay in my room otherwise she disturbs other family members. Tonight has been unbearable and she is a wreck -- shaking and panting. I feel so bad for her.
> 
> ...


Taking her age into consideration and also your mention that she has become pretty "crazy" over the last year which I assume Possibly means that she has been exhibiting out of character behviour and/ or doing odd things in general prior to the coughing/sniffing response, it may be possible that she is experiencing a degree of something called cognitive dysfunction syndrome, which is basically a reduction in optimum brain function, really like older humans who become confused and exhibit changes in behaviour too.

Typical behaviours you may see with CDS are, sleeping sounder and more in the day but becoming more active or agitated at night, whining and/or pacing,
Barking or reacting at seemingly nothing, Less responsive to owners and commands, becoming withdrawn although sometimes they can become more clingey too, Standing staring at seemingly nothing, wanting to go out in the garden but not toileting and perhaps then standing looking confused and appearing they are not even sure how they got out there, perhaps then coming in and toileting indoors, general lack or loss of toilet training having the occasional or regular accidents indoors, they may walk into corners and then just stand there not being able to figure out how to get out again. incidences of confusion in general. You may see some of these behaviours, which tend to be typical.

As well as CDS which as mentioned is reduction of optimum brain function, there can be other medical problems that can cause appearances or changes in behaviour, Loss of sight and or hearing can as it can make them fee disorientated. In the older dog reductions in optimum organ function like liver, kidneys leading to build up of toxins in the blood stream can. Heart and circulatory problems can cause breathing problems like panting and agitation,
just general physical discomfort or pain can also alter behaviour. There can be endocrine problems like hypo thyroid too which is a lack of thyroid hormones.

If she hasn't had a check up in awhile probably the first thing would be to get her a veterinary check, sight, hearing, heart, lungs and an orthopaedic exam to check her joints. If you want to be thorough maybe blood tests too to check general health and organ function. A lot of older age ailments if not cureable are most often manageable so symptoms can be helped.

If the cause is proven to not be physical and it is cognitive then there are lots of things that have helped suffering dogs. Aktivait is a neutracuetical supplement that you can buy on line at reputable veterinary pharmacies, there are also others like senilife. There are also veterinary only medications like vivitonin.

If it is purely anxiety you can get natural calmatives like zylkene, Kalmaid, adaptil products as well as veterinary only medications.

If it is purely a behavioural issue there are behaviourists who can assess her and give you a retraining and management programmes.

You will find details re aktivait and others mentioned on links below, Vivitonin 
and other similar veterinary only products would have to be discussed and 0btained from your vet.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction & AKTIVAIT® | VetSci

Senilife / Products list / Products / Ceva United Kingdom - CEVA United Kingdom

Home

Nutri-Science» KalmAid ? Supplement for highly strung or anxious pets

Adaptil helps dogs and puppys learn settle travel and in kennels

For one organisation where you should be able to find a behaviourist in your area, see link below.

www.capbt.org


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## Hopeattheendofthetunnel (Jun 26, 2013)

Not sure this is going to be of any help or use to you, but seemingly dogs being petrified of coughing, sneezing or hiccuping isn't a rare phenomenon.

One of my dogs gradually became terrified of my MIL dry, tickly cough ( side effect of her heart medication). It took my husband and myself YEARS to work out why our dog - a pretty unflappable character - started to get increasingly uncomfortable when my MIL came to visit. We all had a close, great relationship, the dog had known her since a pup, she was incredibily relaxed and kind with all dogs...so why was he all of a sudden behaving so strange? Had she accidentally stood on him and hurt him? Was it her perfume he reacted to? It was all deeply puzzling. He undeniably liked her, but he behaved worried...scared.

Wasn't until once we were all sitting down to watch a bit of telly, my MIL stretched out comfortably on the sofa, we were laughing and chatting, mum had one of her coughing attacks and my dog fled full tilt into the freezing garden where it was lashing with rain! At least we had an answer - odd as it was - it was the cough. But WHY? And more importantly...now what?

TBH, we never really managed to find a successful counter- remedy and we tried all manner of things ( like throwing his favourite treat - cheese- whenever she started coughing). In the end we simply ignored it. What can one do? Couldn't really tell my adorable and adored MIL to suppress her involuntary cough because it bothered my dog.

Have a quick google "dog scared of coughing, sneezing" and you'll see that it isn't uncommon. In one link
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120216152014AAollpZ

someone suggested that to a dog ... or some dogs...a cough sounds like a bark. A threat. Sort of plausible.

Difficult since this situation pertains to your own dog and your OWN cough. Personally, I'd counter-condition it as much as possible. If there is merit to the "coughing sounds threatening" notion, aside from treats - the super delectable kind - maybe she needs additional body language cues from you, like laughing, or clapping...or wiggling your bum ( sort of a tail swish, I suppose) whilst you are coughing. You can't but try.

Hope you can find a solution! All the best.


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## poppiesonthetrack (Jun 6, 2014)

Thank you so much for the helpful responses.

Sled dog hotel -- I truly appreciate you taking the time to write all that out. She does have a lot of those symptoms. I think a vet trip is unavoidable. 

Hopeattheendofthetunnel -- thank you for your help. I will try your additional body language suggestion.


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## poppiesonthetrack (Jun 6, 2014)

Hello, I just wanted to leave an update here in case anyone was interested. Took my beloved dog to the vet today and he agrees with the suspicion that she has canine dementia.  We are going to try Aktivait so fingers crossed that improves things a bit. In some ways I am relieved, because I thought we were facing having to leave her there for invasive tests (which would have been distressing for both of us!) and huge vet bills. But I am also intensely sad that this is happening and struggling with the thought that my dog is getting older and won't be with me forever. I am scared about how this might progress. But I will just take care of her and love her as always and face whatever the future brings. I appreciate people taking time to respond to this thread.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

poppiesonthetrack said:


> Hello, I just wanted to leave an update here in case anyone was interested. Took my beloved dog to the vet today and he agrees with the suspicion that she has canine dementia.  We are going to try Aktivait so fingers crossed that improves things a bit. In some ways I am relieved, because I thought we were facing having to leave her there for invasive tests (which would have been distressing for both of us!) and huge vet bills. But I am also intensely sad that this is happening and struggling with the thought that my dog is getting older and won't be with me forever. I am scared about how this might progress. But I will just take care of her and love her as always and face whatever the future brings. I appreciate people taking time to respond to this thread.


Aktivait has helped several oldies belonging to owners on the forum, so hopefully it will do the same and help your girl. If it does work and she is not insured you can purchase it through reputable online vet pharmacies without a script as its a neutracuetical supplement so doesn't need a prescription which may save you money.

Some things will work better on one dog and not so well on another, sometimes you need to try a few things and give them a fair trial before you find something that will work best. There are still other things like senilife, and also veterinary only things like Vivitonin too.


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