Do Puppies Get Hiccups?

[Aradhya Gupta]

The answer of this question is; yes, dogs get hiccups. Hiccups are quite common in dogs, especially in the puppies. The main question arises why do puppies Hiccups?. In almost all mammals, the diaphragm is responsible for the hiccups. Diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of chest, and all the hiccups start here. The diaphragm always works perfectly. When we inhale oxygen, it pulls down so as to help pull air into the lungs. When we exhale, it again pushes up so as to help push air out of the lungs.

Sometimes, this diaphragm is unable to work in appropriate manner. When it happens, diaphragm pulls down in a jerky manner, which makes you suck air into the throat suddenly. Few things that may irritate your diaphragm are eating too much or too quickly, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited.

Like humans, dogs can also get hiccups when their muscles that control the diaphragm involuntarily contract. There is no need of concern if your dog has a short bout of hiccups. In fact, these hiccups can be beneficial for your pooches, as these help your dog to relieve gas in the stomach. The hiccups can also sometimes help your canine companion to relieve stomach irritation and fix a momentary loss of coordination between the nerves that control the diaphragm. In Some cases, hiccups in dogs can last for days or even weeks, but this is very unusual. These long duration hiccups are usually a sign of medical problem.