It is likely that what your pet just experienced is known as paroxysmal respiration, more commonly called “reverse sneezing”. Hearing a reverse sneeze can certainly be alarming, but it’s often a normal occurrence for a dog or cat.
If you are ever concerned about your pet’s breathing or notice a change in how your pet breathes, please contact us at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center right away. It’s always better to have the answers you need to make good decisions for your pet than to worry or just ignore it!
You are minding your own business, when out of nowhere comes the odd, surprising, and utterly weird sound of honking or wheezy snorting from your dog. You run to your pet’s aid, only to discover that he or she is perfectly fine, standing there as though nothing has happened. But what did happen? Do you call us or drop everything and rush your pet in as an emergency?
In a regular sneeze, air is forced out of the nose in response to an irritant in the nasal passages. During a reverse sneezing episode, air is rapidly pulled in through the nose. The pet will usually stand still, extend the head and neck, and make snorting or honking sounds. This can last for several seconds or longer – possibly up to a minute or so – but is not harmful. After the pet exhales through the nose, the sneezing usually stops.
The exact origin of a reverse sneeze is not known, however, any irritation in the back of the throat, such as dust, pollen, smoke, odor or other irritation, can produce a bout of reverse sneezing. Allergies, nasal mites, tumors, masses, or a foreign body – such as a foxtail – stuck in the airway, are other problems that can lead to increased reverse sneezing.
How Do I Stop My Dog Reverse Sneezing?
Generally, reverse sneezing is over and done with before you can do anything about it (if it lasts longer than a minute or your dog has several bouts in a row, then there may be something else going on and you should consult a vet). Since it is a means of clearing an irritation in the nose, it is best to let it just happen, but some people, understandably, want to help their dog.
If a dog appears distressed by the episode, you can try gently calming them by stroking their neck and soothing them. This is recommended by Dr Karen Becker and other vets as the simplest and safest home treatment.
Other suggestions are to put a hand over the dogs nose for a second to cause them to swallow and hopefully clear the obstruction. Similarly, it is suggested to blow into the dogs nose or open the mouth and press down the tongue to further open the windpipe. However, this can be more distressing to the dog than simply letting the episode pass, and if the dog is suffering repeated or chronic reverse sneezing, then that is a sign of a deeper problem affecting your dogs breathing. Adding to that stress by holding their nose or forcing their mouth open is not going to help.
The best way to stop reverse sneezing is to work out what might be causing it in the first place, and correct that (if possible).
Breeds with very short noses are more prone to reverse sneezing
Reverse sneezing can happen at any time in a dogs life and may be a one-off affair (a bit of dust, grass, etc., getting up the dogs nose) or it might be frequent and caused by something in the environment that needs to be dealt with.
Some causes may be out of your control. For instance, dogs with short muzzles may be prone to reverse sneezing when they encounter sudden changes in temperature, such as going from a warm house to a snowy back garden. Other triggers may be difficult to determine. Dr Karen Becker describes how one of her dogs always reverse sneezes when she is awoken suddenly from a deep sleep. Perhaps this is due to the dog snoring just as it is awoken, or perhaps dogs can suffer a version of the human condition called sleep apnea. Dr Becker avoids triggering the problem by being careful not to disturb her dog when sleeping.
Allergies are a common cause of sneezing (reverse or normal) in dogs and can be environmental (pollen, dust mites, etc) or linked to diet. More and more dogs are being diagnosed with allergies, just as there is a noticeable rise in allergies in humans. If there is a seasonal pattern to your dogs reverse sneezing, then pollen might be the cause, but a dog may also be allergic to something they are exposed to all year round, such as certain chemicals used in the home. They could also be allergic to grain in their food or to chicken, white fish, or another ingredient they routinely consume in their diet.
Figuring out what causes a dogs allergies can be a nightmarish journey, but you can experiment with changing their diet or reducing chemical use in the home to see if that makes a difference. You can also give dogs a small dose of anti-histamine, such as Piriton, but please go to your vet first to find out what would be safe for your dog to take.
Another cause of reverse sneezing could be the dogs collar. If your dog pulls into the collar, then the pressure on the throat can result in reverse sneezing. Short-nosed breeds, such as pugs, should only be walked on harnesses as collars can compromise their ability to breathe, but any dog that pulls on a collar should be either switched to a head collar (such as the gentle leader) or to a harness to prevent damaging the throat.
Dogs can also choke on harnesses if they pull heavily into them. If they are prone to pulling, a harness with a front clip is better than one that is on the back as this relieves the pressure pushing into the dogs chest.
Reverse sneezing can occur when a dog pulls on a lead
What causes reverse sneezing in dogs?
Reverse sneezing is believed to be caused by inflammation or irritation of the nasal, pharyngeal, or sinus passages, and could be the dogs attempt at removing the irritant causing the issue. Some irritants believed to trigger the reverse sneezing reflex in dogs include dust, nasal mites, seeds, grass, pollen and smoke or conditions such as masses or an elongated soft palate.
In some cases, dogs may also begin to reverse sneeze when over-excited.