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MedicalDictionary.comThe Free Veterinary Medical Dictionary
Clinical Symptom🐕 Dogs🐈 Catsrespiratorycardiovascular

Coughing

🗣️ Pronounced:KAWF-ing
In One Sentence (Plain English)

A sudden, explosive defensive reflex to clear the airways of mucus, foreign material, or irritating secretions.

Editorial Status: Verified from peer-reviewed veterinary sources (v1.0)
Updated: 2026-01-15

💬 In Plain English

A cough is the body’s protective mechanism to sweep irritants, mucus, or fluid out of the trachea and lungs. In dogs, coughing often sounds like a loud, honking “goose honk” (collapsing trachea), a harsh hacking gag as if a bone is stuck in their throat (kennel cough), or a soft, muffled nighttime cough (heart disease). In cats, coughing is frequently mistaken for trying to bring up a hairball: the cat crouches low to the ground with their neck extended flat, hacking repeatedly before swallowing. Coughing in cats is never normal and usually indicates feline asthma.

🔬 Clinical & Technical Depth

For Vets & Technicians

Formal Clinical Definition

Defensive reflex initiated by stimulation of mechanical or chemical cough receptors in the larynx, trachea, and bronchi, mediated by the vagus nerve to the medullary cough center.

Why Veterinarians Use It

Veterinarians evaluate cough characteristics (harsh vs. soft, productive vs. non-productive) and auscultate the chest to differentiate cardiac from airway causes.

Clinical Context Encountered

Seen in infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough), collapsing trachea in toy breeds, canine mitral valve disease, heartworm disease, and feline asthma.

Clinical Reference Guide (Clinical Symptom)

Urgency Level

🚨 Red Flag Warnings (When to Contact an Emergency Vet)
  • •Coughing accompanied by rapid breathing at rest, open-mouth gasping, or bluish tongue indicates acute pulmonary edema or severe asthma requiring emergency oxygen.

❓ Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian

Take these actionable questions with you to your next clinic visit or appointment:

  • 1Is my pet’s cough primarily respiratory (airway infection, asthma) or cardiac (heart enlargement, pulmonary edema)?
  • 2Did thoracic radiographs show bronchial "donuts" (asthma), tracheal narrowing, or an enlarged heart?
  • 3Has my pet had recent exposure to boarding facilities, dog parks, or grooming salons (kennel cough)?
  • 4Does my cat have feline asthma, and should an inhaled steroid (Flovent via AeroKat) be prescribed?

Academic & Clinical References