Both humans and dogs have hiccups. While dog or puppy hiccups are cute to us, they can be annoying to your dog. Hiccups are heavy breathing caused by repeated contractions of the diaphragm muscle located below the lungs. If your diaphragm is irritated by something like eating or drinking too much, it contracts involuntarily. The same goes for puppies. Here are some insights into dog hiccups, from what exactly happens when your dog burps, to why your dog burps, and when you should worry about hiccups.

What Are the Hiccups?

During a hiccup episode, the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen) contracts in an involuntary manner, which is called a spasm. When it contracts, the glottis (often called the vocal cords) at the back of the throat suddenly closes. This results in the violent forced air intake, which produces the hiccups we are all very familiar with! Whether in people or pets, the spasms tend to be rhythmic and last for a few minutes.

What Causes Hiccups in Dogs?

puppy is drinking water

Drinking Or Eating Too Fast

Puppies may hiccup after just drinking or eating, especially if they have a tendency to consume their food or liquids quickly. Pressure is then put on the diaphragm as the stomach fills up with air in addition to food.

Hiccups are brought on by pressure-induced irritation. Dry food can worsen the discomfort because it can expand in the stomach and put more pressure on the diaphragm.

Try feeding your puppy in a special bowl designed to slow down eating if she frequently has hiccups after eating. Additionally, hydrate dry dog food with water, rooibos tea, or bone broth to prevent it from expanding in the stomach.

Your Puppy Is Excited

Your puppy is exploring a brand-new and fascinating world. Thus, they become ecstatic very quickly. The hiccups will stop once the puppy has calmed down because this is a common cause of them.

Strengthening The Airways

Given that mammalian fetuses frequently hiccup, some researchers think that mammals hiccup to test or practice breathing in the womb. Accordingly, there is a theory that puppies experience hiccups more frequently than adult dogs do.

Sneezing

A hiccup that appears to be occurring may not actually be one. Another possibility is that your pup inhaled something that irritates its airways and causes it to sneeze inwardly. Although the puppy may appear to be hiccupping, it is actually taking a quick breath. Your puppy’s sneezes are also not harmful.

Read More: Is Puppy Hiccuping Related To Worms?

Do Hiccups Hurt Dogs?

Although they can’t talk to us, we can tell from the dog’s reaction that hiccups are not painful. They can be annoying when they last a long time, but dogs tend to stay calm during contractions with no signs of stress, anxiety, or pain. Hiccups can only last a few seconds to a few hours in rare cases, but usually don’t require any treatment.

How Can You Get Rid of Dog Hiccups?

How Can You Get Rid of Dog Hiccups?

Hiccups usually go away on their own. Of course, there are plenty of wife stories about how to get rid of human hiccups, like holding your breath, pulling your tongue, or being scared. But no one knows if these actually work.

There’s no need to try to scare your dog or pull his tongue to get rid of the hiccups. Frightening or pulling the tongue (or whatever other remedies you use) may bother him more than hiccups.

But there are three things you can do that may help your puppy’s hiccups.

  • Give drink– The diaphragm and breathing become more relaxed as a result. Make sure your animal friend does not drink too quickly, though.
  • Breast massage– Your loyal companion gains other advantages in addition to enjoying the crawl. The breathing becomes more relaxed and the diaphragm opens up while the man is lying on his back and having his chest massaged. The hiccups can be cured in a nice way!
  • light exercises and movement– Short walks or playing with a ball restore breathing to normal and eliminate the hiccups.
  • smaller portions– Smaller portions of food will encourage slow eating, which will help prevent hiccups in the first place. Should your quadruped gobble too hastily and without chewing, you can solve this problem with anti-snare and put an end to it.

When Should You Worry About Dog Hiccups?

Dog hiccups usually go away on their own. In rare cases, they can be signs of more serious medical problems, such as:

  • Asthma/breathing problems
  • pneumonia
  • heart problems
  • heatstroke foreign body ingestion
  • nausea and stomach pain

Take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible if:

  • The hiccups lasted for more than a few hours
  • Your dog seems to be in pain
  • Your dog won’t eat or drink
  • Your dog is drooling too much
  • your dog starts vomiting
  • hiccups turn into gasps
  • your dog is having trouble breathing

Final Thoughts

Do dogs hiccup? Hiccups are also common in puppies. But if your dog hiccups for more than a few hours, or if your dog’s hiccups turn into wheezing noises that cause irregular or difficult breathing, you should take him to the veterinarian for a checkup. Intractable hiccups can be a symptom of a more serious problem.