Wednesday, July 10, 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.

Extreme changes in temperature may also cause spasm. If your beloved canines have been playing under the hot sun for long and drinks cold water, hiccups are most likely to occur. If this did not go away after some time, your dog may be having a disorder. Nerve damage, irritation, gastroesophageal reflux and many central nervous system disorders can be the reason behind long term hiccups. Contact your veterinarian to check for metabolic disorders such as kidney problems, electrolyte imbalance and diabetes as these are sometimes the reasons for having those disturbing and alarming hiccups.

Curing Hiccups on Dogs

It is very easy to treat or relieve humans of hiccups but for the dog's case, you would need an extra amount of effort and patience especially if the dog doesn't want to cooperate. Since the hiccup occurs because of interruption in the breathing process, the main thing that you have to do is to figure out on how you can bring it back to normal. One of the best ways to change the breathing pattern is a quick walk or run. Run with your dog and make quick stops and starts. This will help the distressed diaphragm to relax relieving your dog of hiccups.

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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