# REVERSE SNEEZING



## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

It seems that I have difficulties attaching a picture of the article, so I will just type it in :



*Dog owners are often frightened when their dog suddenly begins wheezing and snorting, appearing to be unable to breathe. It is a frightening sight if you have never seen it before. Fortunately it may not be quite as serious as it looks.*

*This "snorting" is called reverse sneezing. Medically speaking, it consists of short periods (one to two minutes) of severe inspiratory dyspnea characterized by extension of the neck, bulging of the eyes and abduction of the elbows. Inspiratory dyspnea simply means a type of "air hunger". Swallowing causes the attacks to stop. It can happen every few days, once a week... once a month. *

*The sound of a reverse sneeze can be mimicked by a person pressing the base of the tongue upward and then trying to inale through the nose. (I tried that, and it is very hard to do!) It is the incomplete closure of the nasopharynx (above the soft palate) that results in the snorting sounds. This closure is normal during swallowing and is inhibited at the end of the swallowing process, shich explains why swallowing helps stop an attack of reverse sneezing.*

*Sometimes irritation of the nasal passages from dust or allergens can cause this. Our Maltese are so close to the ground it is easy for them to breathe in dust particles.*

*When you see your dog "snorting" like this, what you need to do is make the dog swallow by massaging the pharyngeal area (the upper throat area) or by briefly closing the nares. (Nares are the two little openings in the nose.) Relief should come almost immediately. We have found that the latter method works best for our dogs, and is the easiest and quickest method. We just place our fingertips over the little nose openings and the snorting stops almost immediately.*

*It is important that the dog owner be sure that what the dog is doing is actually reverse sneezing. There are other types of sneezing and coughing that can be more serious. You must differentiate between the sneezing on inspiration-- as the dog breathes in like with reverse sneezing or-- regular sneezing shich occurs as the dog breathes out. Some of the types of cough to watch out for are congestive heart failure (usually nocturnal coughing); tracheal collapse (caused by exercise or excitement); problems with major airways (harsh prolonged cough); or pulmonary lung disease (soft, infrequent coughing). A productive cough (fluid or mucous) suggest infections, kennel cough etc. Rarely reverse sneezing can be caused from a malformation in the nasal passage-- but that causes very frequent and severe sneezing.*

*More likely what you will be seeing in your Maltese IS the reverse sneezing-- it is quite common in this breed and other small breeds. But to be safe, watch the dog very carefully and see if closing off the nostrils makes it stop. If so, it is probably reverse sneezing. If you have any doubts, it is better ask your vet.*

*If you are worried about what will happen if your dog does this while you are not around, don't worry, he will be okay. They look as if they are really struggling, but they can and do recover without us. Yes, it does look sad to see them, but if what your Maltese is indeed doing is reverse sneezing, he WILL be all right if you are not at home!*

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*Sources : Ettinger, Stephen, D.V.M. and Edward Feldman, D.V.M. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine Philadelphia: W.B. Saunder Company, 1995*



Joe maybe you could pin this. It's only the 3rd time this is posted.


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## paris (Apr 8, 2005)

Thanks for reprinting this article. I actually hope this is what Paris is doing but I have my doubts. She does do the reverse sneezing from time to time and it usually is over in a matter of seconds. This morning it lasted a good give minutes (if not longer). I did remember the part about massaging the throat but that did nothing. Next time I will close off her nose and see if that helps. 

Thanks, again.


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## dogloverx3 (Apr 14, 2006)

Owning a shih tzu , I am MOST familiar wih the reverse sneeze , I no longer panic when my little smooshy face does it . I pinch his nostrils shut and he stops .Sarah


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## THE GiZ&THE CHAR (Dec 14, 2006)

Whee. Yeah. I'm use to this too. When I didn't know about it back then, I brought it up to the vet and he told me "It's called Reverse sneezing." To my boys, it happens more often when they drink their water too quickly... Charlie is known for drinking water too quicky (and soaking his face) ALL THE TIME! And I just massage his throat as described above and though sometimes it takes longer than other times to stop, it does eventually. I haven't tried the nose thing! I'm going to try it out next time. 

He actually had one yesterday. Sometimes, depending on how long and how consistant he does it, I get scared... but I know his okay. Living here in Florida, it's often very humid outside and thus is why I avoid taking them outside "not as often" because I can assure you that everytime they come back in, they have the "reverse sneeze" attack.


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