Your dog just had a very concerning respiratory/asthma like attack where you worried he was dying or may die any minute! But wait it is just a reverse sneeze. How can something so awful sounding be normal often requiring no treatment? The most common cause of reverse sneezing is an irritation of the soft palate and throat that results in a spasm. During the spasm, the dog’s neck will extend and the chest will expand as the dog tries harder to inhale. The problem is that the trachea has narrowed and it’s hard to get the normal amount of air into the lungs. Anything that irritates the throat can cause this spasm and subsequent sneeze. Causes include excitement, eating or drinking, exercise intolerance, pulling on a leash, mites, pollen, foreign bodies caught in the throat, perfumes, viruses, household chemicals, allergies, and post-nasal drip. Some dogs have these episodes their entire lives; some dogs develop the condition only as they age. In most dogs, however, the spasm is a temporary problem that goes away on its own, leaving the dog with no after-effects. If the problem becomes chronic additional testing may need to be done to evaluate the nasal passages. Rarely mites, allergies, and/or other diseases can lead to chronic reverse sneeze.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:43:03 +0000