• Hiccups in your canine have many causes.dog image by Ramona smiers from Fotolia.com
  
  Hiccups are quite common in canines--especially in puppies. Basically, a hiccup is a spasm in the diaphragm. This spasm causes air to be quickly pulled into the lungs, making a sound on the vocal cords. Generally hiccups in your canine are just a minor issue and will go away on their own.
  
  

Eating and Drinking

• When your dog or puppy eats and drinks, sometimes they suck in too much air. The quicker they ingest food or water, the more air they swallow, and this can then cause hiccups.
  
  

Disorders

• If your canine's hiccups do not go away after a brief period of time, they may have long-term hiccups from one of a variety of disorders. Nerve damage or irritation can cause hiccups--such as a hair touching its eardrum or a sore throat or laryngitis. Gastroesophageal reflux also can cause hiccups. A variety of central nervous system disorders can cause longer-term hiccups because of a tumor, or infection can disrupt or damage the whole system. There also are metabolic disorders such as diabetes, kidney failure or electrolyte imbalance. See your veterinarian if hiccups persist.
  
  

Stress or Excitement

• Another cause of minor hiccups is extreme stress or excitement. Hiccups are basically an abnormal breathing pattern, so anything that disrupts normal breathing can cause them.
  
  

Temperature Change

• Something else characterized with hiccups is an extreme change in temperature. If your canine has been running around outside and is overheated and then drinks very cold water, hiccups may occur.