Reverse Sneezing in Dogs

When reverse sneezing, dogs draw air in with a spasmodic motion.

Reverse sneezing in dogs is distinctly different from normal sneezing. Instead of forcefully expelling the air, a dog inhales it spasmodically. Read on for all you need to know about the causes and treatment.

Is Reverse Sneezing in Dogs Dangerous?
Symptoms: What Does Reverse Sneezing in Dogs Look Like?
Causes: What Causes Reverse Sneezing in Dogs?
Treatment: What to Do When Your Dog Reverse Sneezes?
Prognosis: Is Reverse Sneezing in Dogs Curable?
Prevention: How Can You Avoid Reverse Sneezing in Dogs?

Is Reverse Sneezing in Dogs Dangerous?

The term “reverse sneezing” (also known as pharyngeal gag reflex or inspiratory paroxysmal respiration) refers to short bouts where dogs inhale abruptly and forcefully.

Many pet owners mistake reverse sneezing in dogs for choking episodes, as the dogs make loud snorting noises and strain their chests convulsively.

Although reverse sneezing is not really dangerous for your dog, it can be an indicator of a serious illness.

Which Dogs Are More Frequently Affected?

In principle, any dog can exhibit reverse sneezing. Reports suggest that smaller breeds with brachycephaly are more prone to it than larger dogs. Pet owners often notice this behaviour when taking their dogs for a walk or shortly after their dogs wake up.

Symptoms: What Does Reverse Sneezing in Dogs Look Like?

Reverse sneezing occurs suddenly for a few seconds or a few minutes, and the affected dogs appear clinically normal before and after the episode. You can recognise it by the following characteristics:

Your dog stretches its neck forward
It retches and gurgles
It emits a loud noise (similar to a human sniffling)

When Should I Visit the Vet?

Sometimes, reverse sneezing can happen without a serious reason.

If this sign appears just once and your dog otherwise seems to be healthy, you don’t need to immediately consult a vet.

However, it’s a different matter if your dog shows repeated reverse sneezing or other signs of illness.

Close up of white Labrador dog at vet clinic with female owner petting him, copy space — If your dog is repeatedly reverse sneezing, it’s best to consult a vet.

Causes: What Causes Reverse Sneezing in Dogs?

Numerous triggers can lead to the phenomenon of reverse sneezing in dogs. The most common causes include:

External Influences:

the collar is too tight
the dog pulls strongly on the lead
it inhales chemical substances (e.g., smoke, cleaning products, perfumes, deodorants)

Health Reasons:

Inflammations of the nose (rhinitis), throat (pharyngitis), or tonsils (tonsillitis)

Foreign bodies (e.g., awn or grass blades)

Nasal tumour

Parasites (e.g., nasal mites)

Diagnosis at the Vet’s

To determine the cause of frequent reverse sneezing in your dog, you should visit a vet.

After detailed questioning of the owner (anamnesis) and a clinical general examination, the vet can perform a special examination of the upper airways.

A helpful tool for detecting foreign bodies or tumours in the nose is rhinoscopy. The vet examines the dog’s upper airways using a rhinoscope – a small endoscope with a camera.

If desired, the vet can also take a tissue sample with a biopsy forceps or make a swab to culture, in order to identify infectious agents (e.g., bacteria or fungi).

Treatment: What to Do When Your Dog Reverse Sneezes?

It is indeed possible to stop the episode with a simple technique. You need to activate your dog’s swallowing reflex, which you can achieve by gently massaging its throat.

Offering a treat or tapping on the chest can also cause reverse sneezing in the dog to stop.

Let the Vet Treat the Underlying Cause

Of course, simply stopping reverse sneezing is not enough to also treat the underlying cause. For example, a stuck foreign body or a tumour might require an operation, while anti-inflammatories can help with inflammations.

Against mites, antiparasitics containing active substances such as Milbemycinoxime or Selamectin are helpful.

X-ray of the skull of a large dog, side view. Black and white ph — An X-ray examination allows the vet to detect foreign bodies or tumours.

Prognosis: Is Reverse Sneezing in Dogs Curable?

Many causes for reverse sneezing can be treated by a vet. This may differ for malignant nasal tumours, where the prognosis also depends on the type and progress of growth.

That’s why it’s very important to visit a vet as soon as you have any suspicions.

Prevention: How Can You Avoid Reverse Sneezing in Dogs?

Not every cause for reverse sneezing in dogs can be prevented. However, by following these tips, you can reduce the likelihood slightly:

If your dog pulls on the lead, use a harness instead of a collar to reduce pressure on the neck
Only smoke outdoors and if possible, away from your dog
Use cleaning products with as few irritants as possible
Never spray irritating fragrances near your dog

This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

Here are some purchase proposals curated by the zooplus editorial team

The products featured have been carefully selected by our editorial staff and are available at the zooplus online pet shop. The selection does not constitute advertising for the mentioned brands.

Franziska G., Veterinarian

At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.

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