Anyone who owns a dog for the first time will inevitably have been frightened on occasion by what appears to be an attempt at asphyxiation in the animal. It is actually a reverse sneeze, which is common in dogs. «Unlike the conventional sneeze, where the … air is expelled abruptly, reverse sneezing involves a sudden and noisy inhalation. It can be very alarming the first time it occurs because it gives the impression that the animal cannot breathe, but it only lasts a few seconds and is not serious,” explains ethologist Celia Alesanco, author of the book ‘Cats. Manual’.
“It is not a pathology but a symptom by which the animal does not cough but rather generates a current of air from the outside to the inside, instead of the other way around, which is normal when sneezing,” describes veterinarian Carlos Bustillo, from the Bustillo Veterinarians clinic in Logroño. “It is not dangerous because when an animal is really suffocating, perhaps due to a foreign body, inverted sneezing does not usually occur; on the contrary, it makes efforts to cough, just like a person,” says Bustillo. This symptomatology refers to a pharyngeal pathology, from the mouth to the interior. “When that area becomes inflamed, the animals notice it and the ‘scratching’ generates that air current,” describes Bustillo. An ear or a grain of feed can cause this inflammation and lead to inverted sneezing, which would require an endoscopy to remove it, although there may also be milder causes, such as an allergy.
«It is more common in older animals because that entire area deteriorates, the soft tissue falls off, just like a person who snores. And above all it occurs in brachycephalic breeds, such as English and French bulldogs or pugs, because they have an excess of soft palate, a very small entrance to the glottis, and it generates inflammatory processes,” he warns.
If it happens very occasionally we should not worry but if it repeats we should go to a veterinarian. Ideally, we calm the animal when it suffers these processes by gently massaging the pharyngeal area. Antitamines and corticosteroids can be the treatment, apart from removing the foreign body, if there is one, as well as “resolving the airways in these brachycephalic breeds with laser surgery so that it is more open,” details Bustillo.
If the dog is not brachycephalic, that is, with a flattened muzzle, narrowed nostrils and small head, pollen, dust and other environmental allergens can irritate the airways, although inflammation can also be due to infections.
“If an animal often shows episodes of reverse sneezing, it is important that your veterinarian keep a check to analyze what the cause may be and find a solution,” says Alesanco, recommending cleaning the place where the animal lives well and reducing the level of excitement. of the pet to avoid stressful situations.
“It is crucial to control reverse sneezing and seek veterinary attention if symptoms persist, worsen or if the animal shows signs of distress or prolonged respiratory distress,” he warns finally, recommending, when this happens, a gentle massage to encourage the swallowing reflex.
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