Just like it is with young babies, hiccups are very common in puppies. This is because their body is still getting adjusted to many common processes, such as eating, drinking, sleeping, breathing, etc. While all of these actions become natural after some time, there is still a lot of learning and adjusting. For example, a young puppy might be eating their meal to fast or drink water down the wrong tube. Both of these can result in your puppy getting the hiccups. In today’s article, we are going to explain why puppies get hiccups when they wake up.
What causes a dog to hiccup
By definition, a hiccup is an automatic contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a respiratory muscle located under the lungs. The diaphragm assist your dog’s breathing, and can contract involuntarily.
Why do Puppies Get Hiccups When They Wake Up
The main reasons puppies get hiccups when they wake up are eating habits, excitement, and stress.
Eating habits
The main reason puppies get hiccups when they wake up is because of their eating habits. It is most likely caused because they ate too fast. This could be from when they ate before they went to sleep, or when they ate their breakfast in the morning. Puppies are known for eating to fast because they are still learning how to control their hunger. When they eat too fast, their body is unable to digest the food fast enough, which can cause the diaphragm to contract. The diaphragm can also contract if your puppy did not chew properly and tried to swallow food that was not broken down enough. This can cause irritation in the throat and diaphragm, which will likely cause your puppy to hiccup when they wake up.
There are 2 easy ways to fix this. The first is to always make sure that your puppy drinks water after eating. This will help wash the food down the throat and it will help with digestions. Another option is to get an automatic feeder or a slow feeder which restricts the amount of food that your puppy can eat at once.
Excitement
Puppies also get hiccups when they wake up because they are overly excited. This is very common in puppies, as they are immediately ready to take on the world the second they lift an eyelid. They have a hard time controlling their excitement, which can cause irregular and excessive breathing patterns. This can cause the diaphragm to contract as it tries to regulate the amount of air coming in and out of the lungs.
Nervousness
Similar to excitement, a puppy can also hiccup when it wakes up because he/she is nervous. When a puppy is nervous, it also causes irregular breathing patterns which can result in hiccups. It usually takes a puppy a couple days or even weeks to get adjusted to a new home, so this kind of behavior is very normal for a puppy. Just try your best to show the puppy as much love and support as you can.
