Can anyone tell me about reverse sneezes...what causes them, how to stop them, etc
 

My 3 yr old Cinnamon has had sporadic bouts of this over the years...of course the first two times not knowing what it was, we took her to the emergency vet. It almost always happens in the middle of the night, or so it seems. I have read that you can stop it by opening their mouths or blowing in their nose, or rubbing their throat, but Im not sure if there is any scientific reason for this or if it just makes me feel like Im doing something. It happened today while we were on a walk and she really seemed like she wa choking and couldnt get her breath...in addition to that awful sound they make when they arch their backs and stick their necks out, she seemed to be choking in between. I was so scared...I just picked her up and starting running back towards home. Of course within a few feet she was fine but i notice once she has these spells in a day...they usually happen more than once. They still scare me so much that I lay awake at night waiting for it to happen again on days like this. I know Im a basketcase about this dog. Maybe more information will help...does anyone have anything they can share about this. Thanks.

I'm so glad to read this post, just a few days ago Maggy May started doing this very same thing, I actually posted about it in my blog if anyone wants to read it. I was scared to death the first time Maggy did it, I thought for sure she was choking! I opened her mouth and ran my finger all inside, found nothing, then actually pushed my finger in her throat a lil to see if I could feel anything, I felt nothing at all though. I was so frantic I kept thinking, CRAP, the hymlech manuaver (sp) I can't remember how to do it on a dog!! I can't think when I panic. Finally she stopped though, but she makes that same horrible sound that it sounds like your lil one is making, and her neck was all stretched out as well. She's done it once in her kennel, once on my bed and then when she was outside playing today. I thought it happened today cause she got to wound up. Any info on this would be greatly apreciated and what should we do when this happens? I've NEVER had a "collar" on Maggy, EVER, I've only used a harness, and it's the one that doesn't even touch her neck. I hope your lil one is gonna be ok.

Olivia reverse sneezes sometimes, usually when she gets excited or drinks water. It can be really scary when it happens, but usually just distracting her helps. We call them "snirks" and when we hear her we say, "oh do you have the snirks?" She is trained now to come when she hears that, and usually when we pick her up, it goes away. If it doesn't, rubbing her throat seems to help.

Try this link for more info!
Reverse Sneezing

I've heard of reverse sneezing before, but I never thought it would be like this, I mean, I actually thought it would sound kinda sorta like a sneeze, but then, how could it if if never comes out, lol?

I just found this article on reverse sneezing, I hope it's ok to post it here:
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Have you ever been startled by your dog exhibiting snorting, honking and gasping noises? Have you felt helpless while you watched your canine friend appear to be struggling to breathe?

What you probably witnessed is the condition in dogs known as reverse sneezing. It actually has nothing to do with sneezing, but is a spasm caused by an irritation of the soft palate. The soft palate is a soft, fleshy tissue extension off the hard palate, or roof of the mouth. Small dogs in particular can exhibit this behavior and certain breeds may be predisposed to it. It has sent many a distraught owner to the vet in panic.

Some animals can have this condition for their entire lives, or it may develop as the dog ages. During the spasm, the dog will usually turn her elbows outward and extend her neck while gasping inwards with a distinctive snorting sound. Gently massaging the throat area or pinching the dog's nostrils shut so she must breath through her mouth can help shorten the episode. Sometimes taking the dog outside in the fresh air stops the spasm. Once the attack ceases, all goes back to normal.

(Another technique sometimes used to stop a bout of canine reverse sneezing: behavior specialist Sarah Wilson suggests trying to get the dog to swallow, touching the back of the tongue if that is safe.)

It is thought that the pharyngeal spasm can be caused by a number of irritants, including dust and pollen, or household chemicals. Moreover, some dogs can launch an episode after eating, drinking or running around, or while pulling on the leash.

If your dog experiences this behavior fairly frequently and the episodes are severe, a trip to the vet is in order to determine other possible causes, which can include viral infections, polyps, excessive soft palate tissue, and nasal mites. However, many cases of reverse sneezing appear to have no identifiable cause.

There lives a small Chihuahua Beagle mix, Cynthia Louise, who possesses a certain PAW volunteer. Cindy was extremely prone to severe middle-of-the-night reverse sneezing episodes when she first came into the PAW program, sending her terrified then-foster mom (now devoted adopter) to the vet in alarm. The vet anesthetized her (Cindy, not her mom) and explored the little dog's sinus cavities as best she could to see if anything was embedded in her sinus passages. Nothing was found, and after a short course of anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics, Cindy recovered completely.

In hindsight, it seems quite likely that the time of year, autumn, with its accompanying proliferation of allergens, combined with the stress of being in a new household, may have contributed to Cindy's pronounced reverse sneezing. Since the initial episodes subsided, the little dog has had only one or two minor incidences.

Reverse sneezing appears a lot worse than it is, generally posing no health threats whatsoever. Typically, an episode of reverse sneezing will end soon on its own. Nevertheless, understanding and recognizing the syndrome can go a long way toward helping dog owners and their dogs cope with it.

My little chihuahua, Bitsy, does this quite a bit. I just put my finger over her nose and it usually stops it right away. Rubbing her throat never seemed to work with her. It can be scary when you first hear it! In fact her little brother, Baby came running up to her and started licking her and pawing at her and seemed really worried too!!

Awe, poor Baby, he was worried about his sister and was trying to help her. It is very scarey when this happens, I know it sure was for me, I probably scared Maggy May more by my reaction, I just need to learn to stay calm.

Reverse sneezing!!!
 

:interestiI had no clue that's what that condition was called... My baby :aimeeyorkGypsy often does that when she gets too excited... I get so scared and just try to get her mind off the situation, but now I know some pointers to relieve this condition...
My baby :aimeeyorkNygee used to do the same, I thought it was because she was so overweight, but she no longer has those episodes... How ignorant was I...
But now, I have the power to educate myself at this wonderful place YT...:goodpost:
Thank You, Andrea

Brooklyn does this...I had no idea that they could have reverse sneezing. I really panicked the first time I heard this. She doesn't do it very often and I just assumed she was coughing or something. It usually happens after we've been playing. I feel so relived to have read this.

lexi does this when she gets excited, especially when she sees me ,
my boyfriend or my mom.. i hold her nostrils so she can breathe out of
her mouth.. works all the time...she actually comes to me so i can fix
the problem, it terrifies her

I have three that do this, mostly when excited. But two of them it has gotten better as they get older. My five year old does only rarely now. So hopefully they will grow out of it.

reverse sneezing
 

what is the difference between reverse sneezing and collapsing trachea?

Reverse Sneeze, Allergy, or Collapsing Trachea?
 

I understand your dileema. My yorkie has this "fits" which can be scary or freaks me out. She does it at differant times and there is not really anything that sets it off. I have read a lot on this and if you have had her checked by a vet and it is not symptoms of a collapsingtrachea-you should not worry. I have not found anything that can be doene to prevent or really stop it. Somer breeds are more prone to others because of their size and the way their sinuses are built. Sometimes I think she sounds like she is honking (a sign of trachea problems) but then she stops. cam home yesterday and she got overly excited and got so loud it really scared me. I blew in her face a little and rubbed her neck but finally I had to just sit and hold her and get her to relax. It does help to gently rub their throat, give them a drink of water and get them to relax. You might get them checked for allegies too. Allergies can make it worse. You dog might be helped by an antihistamine.:animal36

Just want to say Im sorry for posting this on the Sick/Emergency thread...I meant to put it on the General or heath board. I know enough by now about this condition,though it still scares me, not to think its an emergency anymore. Boy I sure did panic the first time it happened though. The first time she did it she lived with my son and his gf at college (they were her original owners). It happened on a Saturday night after they were out partying. They called me about 1 am...my son was so upset and panicky. They were in a small college town...the nearest emergency vet was 2 hrs away over dark country roads. Thank Goodness, his gf had not been drinking so they drove all that way just to find out thats probably what it was. Then after she came to live with me she did it in the middle of the night....she also vomited a huge amount of dark liquid at the same time, so I thought she was very ill. 4 am vet visit only to have her stop before we got there and them to charge me $150 to say there was nothing wrong. I did this one other time...this time at 6 am, but ended up leaving before they could see me as I realized she was fine. It is so scary though and each time it happens....Ill admit I get a little panicked. Thanks for all the info...it helps to share this with all of you. I have tried rubbing the throat but it doesnt seem to help....I also tried plugging her nose, but that seemed to upset her more.

That's what I do. Here's a video I took of her reverse sneezing. Listen carefully b/c the bathtub water is running in the background.

My Jill has reverse sneezing she does it when she is around alot of people or when we are walking and she gets tired or if I ignore her when she wants on the bed.

I am able to pick her up immediately and tell her no maam we are not gonna sneeze we are gonna be a good girl catch our breath and breathe and I say it in a high pitched voice so she does not think I am upset or mad.. IM REALLY CONCERNED. Not worried I just want it to stop. She only does it about 2 times a week. I think Jill can turn hers on and turn hers off. I am not sure but I think she can because she does it when she wants attention....

She is my princess and she gets her way!

I was told that reverse sneezing is also due to allergies .. Im not sure how true it is!

Thanks
 

Thanks for the video that helped I cannot tell if my Gretel sounds differant or not...It is almost like a person wheezing in through the nose. It still scares me morethan it seemsto scare or bother her. She doesit so often-every. I am not sure if that is normal. I amgoingto try holding the nose trick and hopefully that will help. I do get worried though I cannot elp but be paranoid that it is that horrible trachea problem. I have been trying to wathc her more cloely and noticed she doesscratch alot and chews on her hind liegs alot. She is treated of course so I am wondering if this is an allergy issue that makes her worse. Poor baby it just bothers me like crazy. It sounds like she is taking a deep breath hitting the back of the roof of hre mouth.:eek:

It can be scarry. I luckily was at Jeter's vet appointment when he first started to do this and I about fainted with worry, I thought he was choking on something and was going to die :eek: My vet told me what it was he was doing and he said sometimes if you massage their neck gently, it will stop an episode. Jeter does this when he is excited, scared, when I put him in the tub, and after drinking, and once he woke up having a fit.

Loki reverse sneezes. You can tell because it's a funny breathe, not a cough, and his legs get all turned out. I plug his nostrils and force him to breathe through his mouth and it stops immediately. I've tried this even on a strangers dog (the mom was panicking and I knew exactly how to stop it so I showed her) There is no reason to panic. Loki knows now to look at me (his eyes say "help mom!" and I run over and hold his nose and he's fine. His is not usually when he gets excited, it's random. Although it does happen when he drinks too fast or drinks funny - he probably gets water up his nose or something. Anyway, try the nostril thing - it will work!

The post with the explanation was great. Very helpful. However, Sophie doesn't sound anything like the video. Much louder honking. I do think now that she does have the reverse sneezing. We have always been kinda worried about it.

I was thinking the very same thing. When Duncan does it, its louder and more "honky" sounding. I find when I calm him hes fine, sometimes I gently blow in his nose and that helps alot too. Hes doing it more and more tho so a trip to the vet is due.

Hi, I had switched Zander to Natures Variety and he started this reverse sneezing, at the time I didn't link it to the food so I panicked took him to the vet and they were very calm about it, yes he has allergies, it happens in dogs, blah, blah. They wanted to put him on allergy meds, but I am one that likes to get to the bottom of the problem not just cover it up with meds. So I got on the computer, researched reverse sneezing, causes, etc. then looked up the ingredients in the food he was eating, since that was the only thing that had changed, took him off of the food and I have not seen reverse sneezing again. Interestingly I had given him this food when he was younger and did not have this reaction. Many ailments in our pups can be traced back to ingredients in the foods they eat.
Good luck.

Jake does this when he gets excited. The first time he did it, I immediately thought of collapsed trachea, but the two are completely different. He has done it at the vet's, and the vet assured me it was just reverse sneezing and nothing to be concerned about. He said it's very common in smaller breed dogs.

I too thought collapsed Trachea, but thankfully I was at the vets so they knew right away what it was. Also Jeter was honking and hacking loudly when he does this so it does sound a bit frightening!

Sometimes I feel he can "turn on an episode" so to say, He hates baths and once he had an episode in the tub so I got hin out fast and did the massaging on his neck. So now he will start in when we are on our way to the tub:eek: He can be such a spoiled brat at times like this;)

Faith has little episodes when she gets to exited or pulls to hard when were on a walk, I usually find that plugging her nose does the trick.

Skoshi had episodes where is would do this but it sounded more like a sucking in noise



the old vet said he had a enlarged soft palette and that when he gets excited or allergies act up the palette flips and he does that to get it back to normal position.

reverse sneezing is scary
 

I have recently had a few (yes I said a few) family emergencies back to back to back and have had to be away from home. I have a friend staying with Sophie. Sophie is about 3 and has always had a little bit of a cough every once in awhile. Her cough usually sounds like a hack (cat with a hairball) and then it is over. When I got home last night she was making an entirely different sound. This time she is sucking in and it sounds very snotty, like the beginning of a snore. She was on the couch and stretching her neck out, it sounded like she couldn't breathe, but as soon as it started it was over and she went back to playing. She was eating normal, playing normal, and drinking her water, but at least 3 times last night she did the same thing.
I was freaking out by morning. She has an appointment tonight at 6:30pm with her vet. The article on reverse sneezing did make me feel a little better though.
Thanks