Dog Coughing After Water? Heres What Might Be Going On and How to Help!

Okay, so picture this: I'm chilling with my dog, Buddy, a golden retriever who's basically my shadow. He's always thirsty after our walks, right? So, he laps up water like there's no tomorrow. But then, almost every time, he starts coughing. Like, what's up with that?

Naturally, I started worrying. Is he okay? Is this normal? I had to get to the bottom of it.

My Investigation

First, I observed Buddy more closely when he was drinking. I noticed he wasn't just drinking, he was practically inhaling the water. Gulping it down so fast, it was like a race.

• I tried giving him smaller amounts of water at a time.
• I checked his water bowl - maybe it was too low? Too high?
• I even switched his water bowl to one of those slow-feeder types, the ones with the weird obstacles in them.

Guess what? The slow-feeder bowl actually helped! He still coughed sometimes, but way less than before. It was like his body finally had time to process the water he was drinking.

But I still wasn't 100% satisfied. I mean, why was this happening in the first place? I did some digging around, you know, good old internet research. Turns out, dogs, especially the excitable ones like Buddy, can sometimes drink too fast and end up getting water down the wrong pipe, just like humans. Also, I found out that sometimes underlying issues can be the root of the problem.

So, I decided to be safe and booked a vet appointment. I figured a professional opinion couldn't hurt.

The vet gave Buddy a good check-up and pretty much confirmed my hunch. She said he's probably just an enthusiastic drinker, but she also checked for anything more serious, just in case. Thankfully, Buddy got a clean bill of health.

So, there you have it. My dog's coughing after drinking water was mostly due to his overzealous drinking style. The slow-feeder bowl was a big help, and the vet visit gave me peace of mind. Now I know, and now you do too!