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Why would my Italian greyhound sound like he's constantly going to throw up?

My dog will just sit there or be sleeping and then all of the sudden put his head up and it sounds like he is choking and then it sounds like he's going to throw up but never actually does. Why is he doing this? Is it normal in Italian greyhounds?

Public Comments

1. My German Shep did the same thing for a few nights in a row!! I was so scared I didn't sleep. It only mostly happened at night when she was sleeping and she never would actually throw up. I called the vet and they suggested she had eaten something and it had gotten stuck (is this an option for your dog? Feed her soft food such as dry food soaked in water and if she keeps it down it is unlikely something is stuck, though not impossible). This wasn't the case with my puppy but after a few days it stopped. Perhaps it is a slight sickness. We get sore throats sometimes and perhaps its their way of dealing with it.
2. my IGs don't do it. Is it possibly inverted sneezing? Try pinching his nose shut until he breathes through his mouth. If this stops it, that's what it is. It's a fairly common and benign condition. Can be caused by allergens/chemicals in the home.
3. I know what you are talking about. I have two IGs, though one does it more often than the other. The noise my dog makes sounds like a dry-heave, but my best understanding is that he is actually wheezing. When he really does barf, it is a different sound and tends to rather quiet and sudden. I have not been able to find a conclusive cause for him making heave/wheeze sound, but two main things I noticed that seem to be when he drinks or eats too fast and swallows it wrong, or when he gets some of my wife's hair in his mouth. It irritates his throat it seems like. It also could be allergies. because he does not do it all that often. Are you using an elevated food and water dish? IG's are tall and leaning over to drink or eat can make them more likely to aspirate (swallow wrong) or get gas.