Why do Puppies get Hiccups?

Why do puppies get hiccups?

Isn’t it strange that we see puppies hiccupping just like any normal person? For some who aren’t familiar to this type of dog behaviour, hiccupping in puppies is alarming but for others who are familiar with it, it’s just a part of growing up. They even get entertained by puppies who hiccup and record their moments on video. But why do puppies hiccup in the first place?

To eliminate any anxiety, hiccupping is a natural behaviour especially for puppies at the age of 8 months or less. Most of them commonly get hiccups due to too much ingestion of air when they’re eating or drinking. For other dogs, hiccupping happens from the first 6 weeks up to 20 months of age or sometimes later. Hiccupping may start just right after a meal but it can also occur anytime and usually lasts for a few minutes.

Puppies tend to hiccup because they develop spasms in their diaphragm. Remember that hiccups are usually caused by a sudden involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. Reasons such as eating too fast or drinking too fast, nervousness, sudden fear or at other times a minor gastrointestinal problem can cause a hiccup both in a person and in an animal which in this case is a puppy.

Hiccupping is also a sign that your puppy is growing and his or her insides are developing rapidly. One interesting theory about hiccups is that this type of behaviour is an evolutionary remnant of earlier amphibian respiration”. It is our body’s way to cope up with the change in our neurological pathway system as we fully grow and develop and as animals evolve and mature, hiccupping should decrease.

Basically, hiccupping is very normal and should not be taken too seriously unless accompanied by vomiting or when you notice that your puppy is regularly regurgitating its food. The best thing that an owner can do when the pet puppy is hiccupping is to let it rest quietly and wait for it to pass. Don’t worry about it because puppies will definitely outgrow that behaviour as they fully mature.