Should I be able to hear my dog breathing? Tips and Tricks

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Noisy breathing is common in short-nosed, flat-faced (brachycephalic) dog breeds. Inherited paralysis of the voice box, known as laryngeal paralysis, has been identified in Bouviers des Flandres, Siberian huskies, bulldogs, and Dalmatians.

The upper respiratory tract or upper airways includes the nose, nasal passages, throat (pharynx), and windpipe (trachea).

You will need to provide a thorough history of your pets health leading up to the onset of symptoms. Your veterinarian will use a stethoscope to listen to the entire area from the pharynx to the trachea. If the sound persists when your pet opens its mouth, a nasal cause can virtually be ruled out. If the sound occurs only during expiration, it is likely that airway narrowing is the cause. If the abnormal sounds are loudest during inspiration, they are from disease other than in the chest. If you have noticed a change in your dogs voice, the larynx is the likely abnormal site. Your veterinarian will systematically listen with the stethoscope over the nose, pharynx, larynx, and trachea to identify the point of maximal intensity of any abnormal sound and to identify the phase of respiration when it is most obvious. It is important to identify the location from which the abnormal sound arises and to seek aggravating causes.

Stridor is high-pitched, noisy breathing. The higher-pitched sounds result when relatively rigid tissues vibrate with the passage of air. It often occurs as the result of partial or complete blockage of the nasal passages or voice box (larynx), or collapse of the upper part of the windpipe (known as cervical tracheal collapse).

Your dogs breathing rate and effort will need to be monitored closely. Complete blockage or obstruction could occur after an apparently stable patient is taken home or if continual observation is not feasible. Even with surgical treatment, some degree of obstruction may remain for 7 to 10 days due to postoperative swelling. Care will need to be taken during this time to protect your dog from complications due to labored breathing.

Symptoms of Noisy Breathing in Dogs

Noisy breathing can be displayed in many ways; the causes for why your dog is breathing with a raspy sound can range from mild to serious. Always see your veterinarian for any changes in your pet’s breathing patterns.

  • Open mouth breathing
  • Exercise intolerance
  • Restlessness
  • Noise upon inhalation, exhalation or both
  • Coughing
  • Snorting
  • Gagging
  • Labored, difficult breathing (dyspnea)
  • You may see movement of the chest
  • The sounds may be heard even at a distance
  • Snoring
  • He may be asymptomatic at rest, and only breathe noisily during exertion, or he may make the noises all of the time
  • Change or loss of bark
  • There may be a nasal discharge
  • He may have blue mucus membranes (cyanosis)

    • Types

    Abnormal breathing will result when air passes through areas that may be affected with disease or malformation.

    Nares and nasal cavity

  • The nose openings, the nasal cavity, and internal nares open to the pharynx

    • Nasopharynx

  • Connects the windpipe with pharynx above the soft palate

    • Pharynx

  • Connects the mouth and the nasal passages with the esophagus

    • Larynx

  • Connects the pharynx to the trachea, and is also known as the voice box

    • Trachea

  • Connects the larynx to the lungs, and is commonly called the windpipe

    • Why does my dog sound like she’s snoring when breathing?

    Stertor is noisy breathing that occurs during inhalation. It is a low-pitched, snoring type of sound that usually arises from the vibration of fluid, or the vibration of tissue that is relaxed or flabby. It usually arises from airway blockage in the throat (pharynx).

    3 Types of Dog Breathing Problems and What to Do

    Wheezing in dogs occurs when something impairs or blocks the flow of air in the windpipe, causing stridor (a whistling sound). This can be caused by swelling and inflammation in the airways, something getting stuck in the windpipe, or a number of medical issues.1

    A few seconds of wheezing is likely nothing to be concerned about, but if your dog is consistently wheezing or the wheezing is accompanied by other symptoms, it could indicate a serious health issue that warrants a visit to the vet.