How do I know this is just a reverse sneeze? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

cinnamonmon · 01-31-2007, 01:30 PM

instead of something worse. Long story, short...this is my sons dog who lives alot of the time with me. She had her first attack when living with him...they took her to a vet (a 1 1/2 hr drive from their university, at night) because they were so worried about her. They said she acted like she was choking. Vet said reverse sneeze though she didnt do it when they were there,so she couldnt be sure. I have also seen her do this several times when she lived here...once scared me so bad I took her to the emergency vet at 4 am. She looks like she is dying, head straining forward, body quivering, and trembles like crazy when it is over. The time it happened here she had just vomited a huge amount. Again my vet found nothing wrong either. She did it again last night keeping my son up all night. Today she is back with me and I am so worried it will start again. How do I know that is what this is? From what i have read online it sounds like a sneeze but that is not what this sounds like when she does it. It seems like she cant get her breath...though she can do it a couple of times and is fine afterwards. Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing? I dont want to over react,but dont want to miss anything as I love this little dog so much. Thanks.
Laura

FlDebra · 01-31-2007, 02:06 PM

It may be just a reverse sneeze but I would take precautions like it might be a collapsed trachea. My first Yorkie had the reverse sneeze thing when I bought her. I talked to the vet about it and he said reverse sneeze -- no problem. Well, it seemed to get more frequent and there were a couple of times I worried she could not get enough air, it was really frightening but would soon pass with a little calming talk and gentle throat rubbing.

Then one day I took her to a new groomer as my regular one was not available. They called me as soon as I got home and asked about the wheeze sound. I told them the vet said it was a reverse sneeze -- no worries. She said okay, I will go ahead and groom her. She called again just a short while later and told me I should come get my dog as it seemed like she could not breathe. I raced down to the shop and was met with sad faces that told me she was gone. Just like that. The best pet I ever had was gone. I was devastated. We still do not know for sure what happened ... she may have made her wait outside and Maggie could not take the heat. But what I now think, is that she had a collapsed trachea and the grooming noose was too much for her. It may have been a combination of the heat and noose.

I had not known about collapsed trachea before that or I would never have left her to be put in a grooming noose. I hope that is not the case with your son's pet, but just in case -- I would treat her like it is. There are many Yorkies doing fine with a CT -- their owners just know what precautions to take and never put a collar or grooming noose around their little necks. At least have a vet rule out Collapsed trachea.

cinnamonmon · 01-31-2007, 06:49 PM

Thanks

BlondieGirl87 · 02-01-2007, 03:51 PM

Jaden does a snorting sound of sorts,sounds kind of like asthma or something, it normally last no longer than 10 seconds or so and he only does it when he gets REALLY excited or upset. He doesn't shake or vomit or anything like that. I would probably take your dog to another vet for a second opinion. Perhaps you could voice your concerns and maybe they would keep him at the vets office for the day and monitor him so they could see what you are talking about...or maybe you could put a video camera out and when he starts doing it, turn it on and record him then bring the tape to the vet.

Hope everything is all right!

Shadow · 02-01-2007, 04:08 PM

Very good suggestion about the video cam Joy.

PANAMA69 · 02-01-2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow

Very good suggestion about the video cam Joy.

Yeah, i would never thought of that

Bama Yorkie Mom · 02-01-2007, 08:52 PM

I took maggie to the dr for that very same thing as when she did it, she would just kinda start falling down like she couldnt breath. he said it sounded like maybe asthma but might be allergies. So he gave me some medicine for her to start 3 times a day. then if it got better give it 2 times a day. well I gave it to her 3 times for a few days then 2 times one or two days. that was Jan 1st. and she hasnt done it anymore. he gave me 23 tablets cut in 4ths. I still have 58 left . so she took about 32 if i'm figuring in my head right and she seems fine now. I am just hoping she never does it again. so thats been a month, you can tell I didnt give her many @ 3 times a day. anyway, whatever it was I hope its gone. hope yours gets better too.

sweetr72 · 02-01-2007, 08:56 PM

Darla has just recently started doing that too...I keep telling myself its reverse sneezing and I pray thats all it is...do they grow out of it??

Dawn

BlondieGirl87 · 02-02-2007, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow

Very good suggestion about the video cam Joy.

Thanks, I actually did that for Jaden being the overly protective paranoid mother that I am!

Right after I got him he started doing his asthma sound and it scared me to death so I rushed him to the vet and guess what...nothing, perfectly fine, no snorting, no weird breathing, absolutely nothing...I think the vet thought I was nuts! So, I went to the store and got a camera and had a tape in it and had it all ready to go, next time he started doing it I got it on tape and brought it to the vet. He brought it back to his home and reviewed it and said it was just reverse sneezing and he was perfectly fine

BlondieGirl87 · 02-02-2007, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetr72

Darla has just recently started doing that too...I keep telling myself its reverse sneezing and I pray thats all it is...do they grow out of it??

Dawn

Unfortunately, not that I know of. I've heard reverse sneezing actually doesn't cause them any harm whatsoever...it probably does us more harm getting so worked up and worried about them!

YorkieShadow · 02-02-2007, 08:56 PM

Collapsed Trachea:

The trachea is the valuable structure that connects the throat to the lungs. It is made up of 35-45 rings of cartilage that are joined by muscles and ligaments to create the ?tube? that is know as the trachea. When the rings are closed from top to bottom, the trachea is collapsed. Rapid gasping for air can cause the trachea to flatten and make it hard for air to enter the lungs.

Toy dogs tend to have an abnormality in the genetic makeup of their tracheas. The rings easily loose their rigidity and are not able to retain their round shape.

Collapsed Trachea is different than reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing is when the back of the throat spasms. The dog stands still, stretches out their neck, and often becomes bowlegged while they are trying to get air. It honks, wheezes, and often snorts during reverse sneezing episodes. Often the spasms will cease if they swallow a couple of times or if you close off their nostrils so it has to breathe through its mouth for a few seconds.

Other unique signs will differentiate tracheal collapse. If your dog breathes with a raspy sound or coughs reflexively when you rub their neck, they could have collapsed trachea. If the cough is one or two expulsive bursts, typically with a gag or retch at the end, they could have collapsed trachea. The most common sign is a chronic cough. It is often dry and harsh, and the phrase ?goose honk? has been used to describe the condition. Coughing is often worse in the daytime. You should contact your vet ASAP if you experience any of these serious signs.

This is the main reason anyone who knows about the breed will recommend a harness as opposed to a collar/leash for a yorkie. Leashes attached to collar put too much pressure on the delicate tracheal structure.

Visit http://www.animalclinic.com/colltrac.htm for more information on collapsed trachea.
I Got this information from the link below.
http://www.mylittlemia.com/yorkiecare.html
There is a thread here on YT where one of the members shared a video of their Yorkie with Collapsed Trachea . YOu should try to find that . By watch it it may help you to know if this is how your Yorkie is acting.

YorkieShadow · 02-02-2007, 09:00 PM

Hi I found the thread I was talking about on my post above. If you go here and go to page 2 and Post #19 there is a video, It will show you what it looks like.
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...t=64879&page=2

01-31-2007, 02:06 PM	#2
FlDebra Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL Posts: 7,651	It may be just a reverse sneeze but I would take precautions like it might be a collapsed trachea. My first Yorkie had the reverse sneeze thing when I bought her. I talked to the vet about it and he said reverse sneeze -- no problem. Well, it seemed to get more frequent and there were a couple of times I worried she could not get enough air, it was really frightening but would soon pass with a little calming talk and gentle throat rubbing. Then one day I took her to a new groomer as my regular one was not available. They called me as soon as I got home and asked about the wheeze sound. I told them the vet said it was a reverse sneeze -- no worries. She said okay, I will go ahead and groom her. She called again just a short while later and told me I should come get my dog as it seemed like she could not breathe. I raced down to the shop and was met with sad faces that told me she was gone. Just like that. The best pet I ever had was gone. I was devastated. We still do not know for sure what happened ... she may have made her wait outside and Maggie could not take the heat. But what I now think, is that she had a collapsed trachea and the grooming noose was too much for her. It may have been a combination of the heat and noose. I had not known about collapsed trachea before that or I would never have left her to be put in a grooming noose. I hope that is not the case with your son's pet, but just in case -- I would treat her like it is. There are many Yorkies doing fine with a CT -- their owners just know what precautions to take and never put a collar or grooming noose around their little necks. At least have a vet rule out Collapsed trachea. __________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard

01-31-2007, 06:49 PM	#3
cinnamonmon Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cincinnati Posts: 194	Anyone else...I am really worried Thanks

02-01-2007, 08:52 PM	#7
Bama Yorkie Mom Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,134	I took maggie to the dr for that very same thing as when she did it, she would just kinda start falling down like she couldnt breath. he said it sounded like maybe asthma but might be allergies. So he gave me some medicine for her to start 3 times a day. then if it got better give it 2 times a day. well I gave it to her 3 times for a few days then 2 times one or two days. that was Jan 1st. and she hasnt done it anymore. he gave me 23 tablets cut in 4ths. I still have 58 left . so she took about 32 if i'm figuring in my head right and she seems fine now. I am just hoping she never does it again. so thats been a month, you can tell I didnt give her many @ 3 times a day. anyway, whatever it was I hope its gone. hope yours gets better too. __________________ Linda and Maggie http://www.dogster.com/dogs/490696. http://www.dropshots.com/mnl

01-31-2007, 01:30 PM	#1
cinnamonmon Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cincinnati Posts: 194	How do I know this is just a reverse sneeze? instead of something worse. Long story, short...this is my sons dog who lives alot of the time with me. She had her first attack when living with him...they took her to a vet (a 1 1/2 hr drive from their university, at night) because they were so worried about her. They said she acted like she was choking. Vet said reverse sneeze though she didnt do it when they were there,so she couldnt be sure. I have also seen her do this several times when she lived here...once scared me so bad I took her to the emergency vet at 4 am. She looks like she is dying, head straining forward, body quivering, and trembles like crazy when it is over. The time it happened here she had just vomited a huge amount. Again my vet found nothing wrong either. She did it again last night keeping my son up all night. Today she is back with me and I am so worried it will start again. How do I know that is what this is? From what i have read online it sounds like a sneeze but that is not what this sounds like when she does it. It seems like she cant get her breath...though she can do it a couple of times and is fine afterwards. Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing? I dont want to over react,but dont want to miss anything as I love this little dog so much. Thanks. Laura

02-01-2007, 03:51 PM	#4
BlondieGirl87 No Longer A Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Big Friendly City :) Posts: 4,236	Jaden does a snorting sound of sorts,sounds kind of like asthma or something, it normally last no longer than 10 seconds or so and he only does it when he gets REALLY excited or upset. He doesn't shake or vomit or anything like that. I would probably take your dog to another vet for a second opinion. Perhaps you could voice your concerns and maybe they would keep him at the vets office for the day and monitor him so they could see what you are talking about...or maybe you could put a video camera out and when he starts doing it, turn it on and record him then bring the tape to the vet. Hope everything is all right!

02-01-2007, 04:08 PM	#5
Shadow No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: California Posts: 5,368	Very good suggestion about the video cam Joy.

02-01-2007, 08:56 PM	#8
sweetr72 No Longer a Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 6,111	Darla has just recently started doing that too...I keep telling myself its reverse sneezing and I pray thats all it is...do they grow out of it?? Dawn

02-02-2007, 08:56 PM	#11
YorkieShadow BANNED! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: USA Posts: 9,999	Collapsed Trachea: The trachea is the valuable structure that connects the throat to the lungs. It is made up of 35-45 rings of cartilage that are joined by muscles and ligaments to create the ?tube? that is know as the trachea. When the rings are closed from top to bottom, the trachea is collapsed. Rapid gasping for air can cause the trachea to flatten and make it hard for air to enter the lungs. Toy dogs tend to have an abnormality in the genetic makeup of their tracheas. The rings easily loose their rigidity and are not able to retain their round shape. Collapsed Trachea is different than reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing is when the back of the throat spasms. The dog stands still, stretches out their neck, and often becomes bowlegged while they are trying to get air. It honks, wheezes, and often snorts during reverse sneezing episodes. Often the spasms will cease if they swallow a couple of times or if you close off their nostrils so it has to breathe through its mouth for a few seconds. Other unique signs will differentiate tracheal collapse. If your dog breathes with a raspy sound or coughs reflexively when you rub their neck, they could have collapsed trachea. If the cough is one or two expulsive bursts, typically with a gag or retch at the end, they could have collapsed trachea. The most common sign is a chronic cough. It is often dry and harsh, and the phrase ?goose honk? has been used to describe the condition. Coughing is often worse in the daytime. You should contact your vet ASAP if you experience any of these serious signs. This is the main reason anyone who knows about the breed will recommend a harness as opposed to a collar/leash for a yorkie. Leashes attached to collar put too much pressure on the delicate tracheal structure. Visit http://www.animalclinic.com/colltrac.htm for more information on collapsed trachea. I Got this information from the link below. http://www.mylittlemia.com/yorkiecare.html There is a thread here on YT where one of the members shared a video of their Yorkie with Collapsed Trachea . YOu should try to find that . By watch it it may help you to know if this is how your Yorkie is acting.

02-02-2007, 09:00 PM	#12
YorkieShadow BANNED! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: USA Posts: 9,999	Hi I found the thread I was talking about on my post above. If you go here and go to page 2 and Post #19 there is a video, It will show you what it looks like. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...t=64879&page=2