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Section: Overview
Coughing is a common protective reflex that clears secretions or foreign matter from the throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), windpipe (trachea) or airways, and protects the lungs against aspiration. It affects the respiratory system by hindering the ability to breathe properly. Common causes include obstruction in the windpipe, bronchitis, pneumonia, heartworm disease, lung tumors, and heart failure.What to Watch For Watch for a chronic cough, or one that lasts for more than two or three weeks. It can begin suddenly or develop gradually. An occasional, infrequent cough is normal. See your veterinarian if your pet has a chronic cough.DiagnosisVeterinary care should include diagnostic tests to determine the underlying cause of the cough.
Outdoor pets in certain geographic areas of North America and elsewhere are predisposed to respiratory parasites or lungworms. Infection typically occurs from exposure to the hosts that carry the parasite....
Nasopharyngeal polyps are benign growths that can occur in the pharynx, the middle ear and even perforate through the tympanic membrane (ear drum). They occur mainly in cats and the exact cause is uncertain....
Asthma is a lung condition associated with airway obstruction caused by sudden narrowing of the bronchial tubes. Affected cats cannot expel air from their lungs and symptoms come on very suddenly, which...
Chronic bronchitis is a persistent inflammation of one or more bronchi, which are tubes that pass air to the lungs from the trachea. The cause of chronic bronchitis in most cases is unknown.
A respiratory foreign body is the inhalation of material that becomes lodged in any part of the respiratory tract, especially the nose, throat, trachea and bronchi, which are the large passages in the...
Aspiration pneumonia is an inflammatory lung disorder that occurs as the result of inhaling any foreign substance. Disorders that result in regurgitation or vomiting are most often associated with aspiration...
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