toy poodle with cough

[Tia's mom]

My 9 year old toy poodle has quite a cough. The vet checked her out & said her heart is fine it's just a weak windpipe which can be quite typical for her breed. She proved it by applying a bit of pressure to Tia's windpipe which made her start coughing. Even so, the coughing seems to be increasing. Is this really so common?

[k9Karen]

I don't know about this condition in toy poodles, but maybe something is aggravating the situation. I don't know where you live, but did you recently turn on the heater? There can be a lot of indoor pollution created by furnaces. Also, the air can be extremely dry. If so, adding a HEPA filter to your heating system (or getting a separate system) and/or humidifying the air might help. Also consider the possibility of mold and dust mite allergies, as well as outdoor allergens that can be common this time of year (like goldenrod in some areas of the country) and other things that are being 'kicked up' by the increased winds. My Mickey used to get a bad cough about late June to mid-July that lasted at least a couple of months. The vet thought it was allergic in origin, because it went away, usually, at the latest, by October when the air got cooler and it reappeared the following year at about the same time.

[davet]

also ask about decongestants if the cough is severe at times...but the wind pipe thing is common and i wonder if what you describe is coughing or the postnasal hack that is so typical of poodls...

[jdf]

It sounds like your vet may be referring to Tracheal Collapse which is fairly common in smaller breed dogs. It's a cough that typically sounds like a goose honk, though, and is aggrevated by excercise and/or excitement. FYI, here are a couple of sites about TC::

http://www.toybreeds.com/health.htm

http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/respi ... llapse.htm

I agree with davet and k9Karen .. it could be something environmental causing the coughing if it isn't Tracheal Collapse. Our dog had a problem with coughing which was seasonal and a benadryl tablet seemed to help her a lot when she had an episode. Seasonal allergic reaction or something which is irritating to the lungs and throat like cigarette or cigar smoke may be a factor. If the coughing persists without a clear diagnosis, you may want to consider getting an evaluation from a heart specialist ( Veterinary Cardiologist) or a vet school if there is one nearby.