Introduction
Hiccups are quite normal for puppies. Dogs can hiccup due to overeating or a strong fright. In some cases it is almost impossible to find an obvious reason. Moreover, breeders sometimes do not notice hiccups of their pet.
In fact, this phenomenon is a reflex convulsive breath during which the diaphragm is sharply reduced.
Information
Dogs’ hiccups are evident humans’ ones. It is a spasmodic contraction of diaphragmatic muscles. The diaphragm is a muscular partition separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.
In most cases young dogs’ diaphragm is contracted very sharply. During the hiccups a distinctive sound occurs, the reason of it is involuntary and very rapid closure of the glottis. Usually, hiccups of dogs start with unnoticeable reasons. This phenomenon is completely harmless.
Depending on the duration hiccup is divided into two types:
- The short hiccup – it occurs as a result of overfeeding or too rapid eating, especially puppies have this hiccup; also dogs can have short hiccup in the case when their diet provides insufficient amount of liquid food.
- The long hiccup – some puppies may hiccup for an hour or longer. As a rule, the reason for this phenomenon becomes a foreign object in the stomach, worm infestation or the various diseases of the digestive system.
Why Does a Dog Hiccup?
There are many factors that lead to the fact that puppies get the hiccups:
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- Sudden filling of the stomach. A similar phenomenon happens if a dog eats greedily. Also hiccups often arise from the fact that the owner gives the pet only dry food does not provide with enough water.
- Active play with other pets or owners. As a result of such activities the throat of the animal is dry which causes hiccups. In this case, it is sufficient to give your pet some water.
- Hypothermia. Shorthair breeds suffer from it. Such dogs need to wear, even if they are in the apartment. It concerns to the cases when there is a draft in the room.
In some cases reasons of hiccups can be damage of the functioning of the central nervous system. For example, there can be complications after the previous distemper. Puppies get hiccups more often than dogs. This is because puppies are very sensitive to any external factors.
How to Get Rid Hiccups?
If the pet has hiccups after eating, you must give him some warm clean water. You can gently massage the abdomen of the dog if there is too rapid ingestion of food and air.
In the case when a hiccup occurs very often, it is necessary to ensure that there are no worms in dog’s organism. It is best to use some treatment.
Puppies need to be fed with given daily value. This applies to dry food which is rich in nutrients that are very heavy for digestive system.
In most cases, hiccup goes away by itself. It is sufficient to ensure that the dog has enough clean warm water. You should also avoid overfeeding your pet and periodically give it medicines for worms.
