Why Is My Dog Honking?! Reverse Sneezing Explained by a Vet

Is your dog suddenly making weird snorting or honking noises? It might be reverse sneezing. Veterinarian Dr. Gabrielle Fadl explains what reverse sneezing is, why it happens, and how to know when it’s serious. These short episodes can look alarming, but they’re usually harmless.

TRANSCRIPT

Wondering what the heck is going on when your dog is reverse sneezing? Let's talk about it. I'm Dr. Gabrielle Faddle and this is Torshi. So, reverse sneezing is when a dog has irritation in the back of their throat. Um, sometimes it's from an irritant or an allergen. What you'll notice is the dog will inhale very sharply or abruptly. um it sometimes can seem like or look like they're short of breath or can't breathe um when in reality it's just them kind of scratching the back of their throat in some way. Sounds pretty scary, but it's typically nothing to worry about thankfully. So, we call it reverse sneezing because it is usually involuntary. They you can't help when it happens. similar to a sneeze. But what is happening is they're inhaling very quickly. It sometimes sounds like snorting or gasping sometimes and it usually will last for 30 seconds, sometimes less, usually not more. If you have an allergy prone dog or a brachioalic dog, which is a dog that has a short nose, think French bulldogs, English bulldogs, pugs, you might notice it a little more frequently in these breeds. So, episodes of reverse sneezing should pass on their own without doing anything. Sometimes pet parents might clog the nostrils or massage the throat, which in some cases can help it pass sooner. Um, but in most cases, you don't necessarily have to do anything at all. If you're wondering if your pet's reverse sneezing warrants a vet visit, here's what to look out for. If it's happening several times in a day where you feel it is affecting their quality of life or they can't get comfortable, um certainly bring them in and we can chat about it. It may mean that they need to be on an allergy medication for a short or longer period of time. Um but most of the time thankfully it's nothing to be worried about. Hopefully you feel a little more prepared now and a little less afraid when it does happen. Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next time.