Does you Bulldog Cough when very excited or after sprinting?

kevi204

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Nov 6, 2012
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Virginia
Bulldog(s) Names
Henry
Does you Bulldog Cough when very excited or after sprinting?
-Reason i ask is since the beginning of January, Henry has a repeated cough whenever he gets very excited and after he sprints for a bit.

Example, Henry is on his harness, and sees another dog and gets very excited and starts pulling and pulling and after a while he'll start coughing repeatedly. I'm able calm him down by putting my arms around and just saying "easy"

Before work today, i would walk away from henry like 20-30 ft and call him and he would sprint towards me and i would catch him in my arms and he would cough (once) and be okay.

Vet has looked at him and said they didn't think it was kennel cough and didn't think it would be tracheal collapse since he wasn't a toy breed. They thought it just could be normal for him and he may grow out of it. But said we could do x-rays if it continued.
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
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Burlington, ON Canada
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Bulldozer and Blossom
No, mine don't cough when they play or are excited, but if they play rough with each other for a half an hour or more of running around and chewing on each other, they will pant a lot with their tongues hanging out, and I'll have to separate them or calm them down.
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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Jul 28, 2011
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This can happen due to mucus/phelm build up... try a small squirt of lemon juice to help break it up... But, I would also find a bulldog knowledgeable vet as they can have a tracheal collapse because they are more narrow than most breeds.
 

Sherry

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Jan 15, 2011
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Denver PA
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Jack , Dolly, Grizz, Peggy Sue, and Scrimps
Does you Bulldog Cough when very excited or after sprinting?
-Reason i ask is since the beginning of January, Henry has a repeated cough whenever he gets very excited and after he sprints for a bit.

Example, Henry is on his harness, and sees another dog and gets very excited and starts pulling and pulling and after a while he'll start coughing repeatedly. I'm able calm him down by putting my arms around and just saying "easy"

Before work today, i would walk away from henry like 20-30 ft and call him and he would sprint towards me and i would catch him in my arms and he would cough (once) and be okay.

Vet has looked at him and said they didn't think it was kennel cough and didn't think it would be tracheal collapse since he wasn't a toy breed. They thought it just could be normal for him and he may grow out of it. But said we could do x-rays if it continued.

If it were me? I would get chest x-rays of the lungs, please. I don't want to alarm you, but I had a Golden Retriever who had a cough when she go excited or went for walks. It didn't turn out good.
If it is something that just turned up or has gotten worse, then yes, it's worth the peace of mind to rule out a serious problem.
 

ChrisRN

Flip'n'bullies stole my heart!
Jan 10, 2013
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Muskegon, Michigan, United States
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Mabel (20??-2017) Ariel
If it were me? I would get chest x-rays of the lungs, please. I don't want to alarm you, but I had a Golden Retriever who had a cough when she go excited or went for walks. It didn't turn out good.
If it is something that just turned up or has gotten worse, then yes, it's worth the peace of mind to rule out a serious problem.

I agree, Sherry. It would be a good idea to have this checked out. As we learned, these wonderful dogs can have definite respiratory problems. It's worth putting your mind at ease. The thread that lists bulldog specialists was extremely helpful to us. Please let us know what you find out.
 

BarkingStella

New member
Oct 16, 2012
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2
Bulldog(s) Names
Peggy ,Stella ,Gabby
Coughing can also be heart related, so if you are getting a work up, might not be a bad idea to get that checked as well.
 
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kevi204

New member
Nov 6, 2012
97
2
Virginia
Bulldog(s) Names
Henry
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  • #7
I have an appt. today with a bulldog specialist to get it checked out. I'll let you know what we find out.
 
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kevi204

New member
Nov 6, 2012
97
2
Virginia
Bulldog(s) Names
Henry
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  • #8
The Bulldog specialist concurred with what the other vet had thought. Basically he ruled out kennel cough or tracheal collapse for the most part. He brought up that it could just be due to the narrow trachea that bulldogs have or possible elongated palate. He said he normally looks for palate issues during surgery and will trim them if need be. I contacted my vet and they do not perform the palate surgery so i cancelled my appt with my local Vet and will be going to the Bulldog Specialist.
Local Vet quote for Neuter/Hernia repair was low $200.00's
Specialist for Neuter/Hernia repair will be $350 and $500-600 if palate needs trimming.
-I decided to go with the specialist on April 5th for surgery.
 

Baconator

.........
Apr 12, 2012
2,969
127
Northern NJ
Bulldog(s) Names
Bacon
Bacon was coughing like this after he choked on a piece of the couch during Sandy. We think he may have aspirated a little while choking, eventually it just went away.
 

Ashleym

New member
Community Veteran
Feb 5, 2013
834
52
So. Calif.
Bulldog(s) Names
Fergus
The Bulldog specialist concurred with what the other vet had thought. Basically he ruled out kennel cough or tracheal collapse for the most part. He brought up that it could just be due to the narrow trachea that bulldogs have or possible elongated palate. He said he normally looks for palate issues during surgery and will trim them if need be. I contacted my vet and they do not perform the palate surgery so i cancelled my appt with my local Vet and will be going to the Bulldog Specialist.
Local Vet quote for Neuter/Hernia repair was low $200.00's
Specialist for Neuter/Hernia repair will be $350 and $500-600 if palate needs trimming.
-I decided to go with the specialist on April 5th for surgery.

Good choice going with the specialist... With all the issues the bulldog breed has putting them under is scary and if you can get everything done at once even better. Keep us updated how it goes.
 

Sherry

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Jan 15, 2011
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Denver PA
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USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Jack , Dolly, Grizz, Peggy Sue, and Scrimps
[MENTION=6742]kevi204[/MENTION] thanks so much for update, been thinking bout the vets diagnosis
 

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