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skfreeze
Jan 3, 2012, 10:40 AM
I have a 13 month old Morkie and she seems to be in great health, always wanting to jump and play. Although she doesn't get to go outside much she runs A LOT in the house, assuming her health... However every once in a while she'll do this COUGH/GAG thing like she's trying to throw something up... Nothing ever comes out though (she may be catching it in her mouth before it falls to the ground tho-who knows). I really think it's a dry heave though, but the consistent COUGH/GAG thing has me worried. I have given her Tums in the past and it seemed to work great, other times ( once or twice) she has thrown them right back up.. IDK what to do, we don't have money for a vet.. She was de-wormed for the first 6-7 months of her life as she was given her "baby shots" that were required.. Can someone help me with this-is this normal... She drinks plenty of water and eats fairly decent amount for a 5 pound dog..

LadySam
Jan 3, 2012, 05:40 PM
Contistant cough/gag suggests that there may be something going on with her airway or respiratory system.
You say nothing is coming out, but she is not likely catching it in her mouth, if she were vomiting you should see some evidence and if her problem was stomach related her appetite should be affected. So no more human medicines without first consulting a vet, they can be very dangerous.
I would suggest somehow finding the money and taking her in before the problem has a chance to worsen.

Aurora_Bell
Jan 3, 2012, 06:56 PM
Worming is usually a monthly treatment, as eggs can stay dormant is soils for a long time, and when the temperatures/conditions are just right they will hatch.

Coughing can mean anything from kennel cough to a heart murmur or a bad infection of worms.

While Tums aren't necessarily the WORST human meds you can offer a dog, it's not a good idea to give human meds to a dog wit out the okay from your vet. Simple things like mixing up Aspirin and Tylenol can be deadly.

Mixed breeds such as yours are prone to respiratory problems.

skfreeze
Jan 3, 2012, 08:19 PM
It's not constant it's usually like 2-3 times a week and will go on for about 3-4 minutes.. Her appetite is great she always wants to eat.. It usually happens when we play catch with a tennis ball she loves to play with and chew on. You think it. Could be little hair like fibers from the ball getting in her throat. Can a puppy who has never been outside and only 13 mnths old have worms... What are other signs of worms can I watch out for? I am saving so I  can take her to a vet but please give me any advice for the time being. Should I get more dewormer?  You have no idea how much I appreciate the current response.

Lucky098
Jan 3, 2012, 09:11 PM
What do you mean she's never been outside? Worm eggs can come into your house from your shoes, other pets and so on.. So it is possible for a puppy to get worms.

What breeds make up the "Morkie".. If she has a very short nose, then she is coughing and gagging due to the shape of her head... She may grow out of it, she may not.

Does she cough and gag only when she is rough housing? Or is it just randomly throughout the day?

It could be reflux.

It could be a lot of things. To be on the safe side, you should allow your vet to determine why she is coughing and gagging and if it is something that you're going to have to deal with for the rest of your dogs life.

Aurora_Bell
Jan 4, 2012, 05:45 AM
I would get more worming meds, but I would go into the vet clinic to get them. I know it sounds like we are pushing the vet here, but you can never be to careful with these things. When you go in for simple things like flea/worm treatment, all they will do is weigh your dog (at no additional cost to you) and give her the correct doseage. Meds like Revolution are really cheap, for your size dog you are looking at like $7 a month.

It could be the fibers from her tennis ball, try using a different play toy. Tennis balls can be very abrasive, and deadly. My neighbors lost their dog to a tennis ball this past summer. The ball sprung back into his throat and he literally choked to death. With smaller breeds it's less likely to happen, but I have seen dogs come in to the clinic and their teeth are worn down to the nerve because of tennis balls. I still question why pet stores sell these things...

If I were to take a guess at it I would guess it's the breed and the genetic makeup of your dog. That's why these "hybreed" dogs are so unpredictable, they are mutts, and you can not predict a mutts genetic make up. And I by no means mean anything offensive with the word "mutt". Both my dogs happen to be wonderful mutts. :)

skfreeze
Jan 4, 2012, 10:33 AM
It really only happens when we get to 'roughhousing' she's only 5 pounds but she's very feisty, but wouldn't hurt a fly... She is a Malteese/Yorkie breed( I hope I spelt that correctly)  I thought they were called Morkies. That's what I was told anyway... I think I will cut it out with the tennis ball but she loves and I mean loves that thing, she cries when she can't find it and she smells-snoops around the whole house until she does. I guess that's where I need to step up as the 'parent' and just make them go away...  
When she does start the Cough/Gag thing it'll last a few minutes and she'll lay down-cool off and want to play again... We use the small tennis balls (BC they fit in her mouth better) too so I'm guessing that's not helping either I would kill myself if we lost her due to choking on the ball.. But then again most of her toys are like stuffed animals and things that have 'hair-like fibers'...
I took her to the vet about 3-4 months ago BC she was doing this snorting thing and it REALLY scared me.. That trip cost us so much I'm afraid to go back.. But what you mentioned about dewormer being that inexpensive I'll probably make an appointment soon. We found out that snorting thing was nothing more than a reverse hiccup as the Dr explained it... he said that it's very common and not to worry she'll be fine. He didn't say anything was wrong with her respiratory system at that time... I appreciate the feedback you guys are Saints, thanks so much!

Aurora_Bell
Jan 4, 2012, 11:48 AM
My boxer mix gets bouts of reverse sneezes, when I first heard it I literally ran her to the vet lol. You don't even have to make an appointment for the flea/worm treatment, just pop in and the receptionsit or vet tech will weigh and get you the meds.