Hi ....this is going to be hard to describe.....my 8yr old xcollie has started making a strange noise...mostly when excercising abut sometimes when sat doing nothing .....the only way i can describe it is like he's trying to get something out of his throat a bit like a backwards sneeze....
Has anybody any ideas?

hi there, not sure i can be of much help but just wanted to say i have a springer bitch who also had a type of cough thet seemed to go on & on, & just seemed to happen at any time of day or night, sometimes she would be laying down fast asleep & suddenly get up, cough & lay down again, after a few investigations & £100's of pounds later on vet fees we discovered she has a heart mumur &  an enlarged heart, she is a lot better on drugs prescribed from the vet & know her condition will never get better, just helps to keep her at ease & helps keep the cough at bay, im not saying this could be what your dog has, have you considered the possibility of kennel cough?? im not saying it is & did think for a while that is what my bitch had,  if not sure tag him along to a vet for an expert opinion

If it is hyperventialting as if they can't catch their breath this is very common and often  called a backwards sneeze.  If you place your hadn over the muzz,e when thery are doingit blodking the airway for a few seconds it will stop.

My theory it is something that overecites irritates the nasal passages, mine do it more often when the grass si pollinating and seeding.  Occasionally happens in the rign when they are really excited about the smell of the bait.

If it is a cough then it could be Kennel Cough or more sinister a heart condition.  With heart trouble the cough is caused by fluid accumulation on the lungs.

If this has only just started I would think it less likely to be the backward sneeze.  Could be KC with it being triggered off by exercise or it could be a heart problem.  I really would take the dog to the vets to get it checked out and if it's something or nothing at least you'll know for certain.

Hope all's OK.