# What is it?



## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

What is this "Reverse Sneezing" that claimed Sally's dog ... I can't imagine what this looks or sounds like. 

Thanks!!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Jim , here's Wiki version. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_sneezing


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

This link explains reverse sneezing. If your dog does it, you will know it. I think with all the meds Shelby is on for her eyes right now, her stomach is very upset. Vomitted tonight and then had a case of reverse sneezing. I just about had a heart attack because of Oliver, even though I know what it is.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2335


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Beat me to it, Dave.


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

If you go to youtube and type dog reverse sneezing some people actually post videos of their dogs doing it. It's so scary when we see dogs do this!!


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## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

Thanks Michele and Dave -- The links were very helpful. Neither Snicks or Snoops has had such a bout 'yet' -- if they ever do I'm gonna go nuts.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Oh guys, the reverse sneezing is not only for allergys it can be due to a congenital heart problem, the reverse sneezing comes after a coughing fit that we may not notice. Also along with the sneezing and coughing there would be blue gums, possible blue tongue, also the pads of the feet may appear blue. The only reason I know this is my dog Boo Boo who I took for an allergy had blue pads I thought he had been licking them so much that they turned black blue. My vet explained that it was not the usual black/blue it came on too quickly and also Boo Boo's gums were Blue, I had not looked at the gums. The vet told me if I had not brought him in he most probably would have died a day or two latter as CHF would have set in and had a quick course. The reverse sneeze as a single sympton is rarely a problem, their are other suble things. Even though I was lucky and got Boo Boo to the Vet, it just gives me good by time, there is no treatment that can change the course of his disease. I do not know what happened to little Oliver, but chances are there were no warnings except the day she took him to the vet.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think it's REALLY important to pay attention to what Robbie posted. the reverse sneezing is just a symptom, and can be anything from completely harmless to part of a constellation of symptoms that add up to trouble. Reverse sneezing, in the absence of other, more serious symptoms, is NOT dangerous.


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## Maxmom (Jul 22, 2008)

I'm grateful for the links! Cooper has freaked me up a couple of times in the middle of the night with what I decided had to be reverse sneezes. Poor guy, I gave him the heimlich maneuver because I thought he was gasping for breath and had something stuck in his throat.

I'm so sorry to hear about Oliver. It makes me love my boys more knowing how quickly something can happen that I could lose them.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

okay, Now I am freaking out. I went on You tube to see exactly what it looks liike and Tillie does this, sometimes several times a day...her bouts are usually less than a minute and she recovers quickly. We thought maybe it happnes when she gets over excited or maybe she is allergic to the cats or something. Should I take her to the vet? what other signs or sypmtoms should I be on the look out for??


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

My older dog, Cagney has had bouts of this for years. It used to terrify me till I heard it was no, in and of itself, dangerous. Milo gets it from time to time too. It sounds as if they can't catch their breath. Now, should (or when) it happens again, I'll go back to sheer terror.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I do want add in my experience with "Reverse Sneezing" and that is Dexter will occasionally do the sneezing if he is overly excited....because the sneezing is very scary sounding, I try to calm down Dexter as quickly as possible.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

You can all check with your own vets, but from EVERYTHING I've read, reverse sneezing by itself is NOT dangerous, and is NOT a symptom of something dangerous.


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

My Chihuahua does this, mostly when she is very excited. I massage the area of her throat and she usually calms down. But it is scaryyyy and now... more.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Everyone is getting over excited about the reverse sneezing. You need to read Sally's post, the most important symptom was a blue tongue!!!! Changes are his gums were also blue, this is cyanosis and is very serious!!!!! He could have been reverse sneezing because he was excited with what was happening to his little body. Cyanosis is a sympton of several serious things: Heart often silent and congenital, Lung, the last is some type of a poision (usually in the air, ingested usually causes vomiting, but not always). Our guys can't tell us what is wrong and their symptoms are often suble, or things we would not even know. Any death is heartbreaking but a sudden one leaves so many unanswered questions.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> Everyone is getting over excited about the reverse sneezing. You need to read Sally's post, the most important symptom was a blue tongue!!!! Changes are his gums were also blue, this is cyanosis and is very serious!!!!! He could have been reverse sneezing because he was excited with what was happening to his little body. Cyanosis is a sympton of several serious things: Heart often silent and congenital, Lung, the last is some type of a poision (usually in the air, ingested usually causes vomiting, but not always). Our guys can't tell us what is wrong and their symptoms are often suble, or things we would not even know. Any death is heartbreaking but a sudden one leaves so many unanswered questions.


Yes, the color of his gums was one of the reasons I took Kodi to the hospital. He wasn't blue, as it wasn't a lack of oxygen. But they were tacky and congested (dark red) suggesting that he wasn't well enough hydrated. Probably because he couldn't put any water into his distended belly. That's part of why they started him on fluids right away.

We learned this early with horses, and the same is true with dogs. Check your dog's gums frequently, so that you know what "normal" looks like for your dog. They should be moist, pink, and when pressed lightly, should turn white, then within 1 1/2 seconds or so return to their normal color. If you don't know what's "normal" when your dog is healthy, it's hard to determine when there's a problem unless it's REALLY bad.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I don't think occasional reverse sneezing is anything to worry about, I hear Gucci do that on days when the pollen is really high, and it does seem to happen more in Spring/summer with her.

It does freak my husband out when he hear her do it, It is sort of a scary sound if you don't know why/what is going on, but they sneeze just like we sneeze to try to expel something from their sinuses, but their sinuses stay wet and are constructed differently, so the sound is just different.

Don't panic!

Kara


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

All of my dogs get bouts of reverse sneezing now and then. As others have said, in and of itself, it is not dangerous and there are ways of helping it pass quickly, like covering the nose, forcing the dog to breathe through his/her mouth. 
Since we don't know yet what actually happened to Oliver, we don't know if the reverse sneezing had anything at all to do with it. He could have had an anurysm that might have been constricuted and burst or he might have had an allergic reaction to something he ingested, causing anaphylactic shock.
Don't panic if you see your dog having an episode of reverse sneezing. Just keep an eye on them.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> Yes, the color of his gums was one of the reasons I took Kodi to the hospital. He wasn't blue, as it wasn't a lack of oxygen. But they were tacky and congested (dark red) suggesting that he wasn't well enough hydrated. Probably because he couldn't put any water into his distended belly. That's part of why they started him on fluids right away.
> 
> We learned this early with horses, and the same is true with dogs. Check your dog's gums frequently, so that you know what "normal" looks like for your dog. They should be moist, pink, and when pressed lightly, should turn white, then within 1 1/2 seconds or so return to their normal color. If you don't know what's "normal" when your dog is healthy, it's hard to determine when there's a problem unless it's REALLY bad.


Karen, thank you for posting this. Very good advice - to take note of them when the dog is healthy, so one can recognize when something is amiss.

Augie gets reverse sneezing attacks too. It sounds very scary. It usually happens when we have gone on walks and he has met another dog, also at the first night in our new training location. I thought it was because he was pulling on his leash and putting pressure on his throat. But it has happened in his harness, where there was no pressure on his throat. So, I think it could be like someone mentioned, from excitement - almost like an anxiety attack, maybe like in humans who hyperventilate or something.


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## pixie's mom (Dec 27, 2009)

I just went to the utube site. Scarry. Sometimes I have to take Pixie and Daisy out on the leash at the same time. Sometimes Pixie will see a lizard or something and lunge for it causing the leash to pull. She usually stops within 10 seconds, but it's scary. I have seen her do this before in the house after running (zoomies) and always thought it to be a "hair ball".


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

ok. now i am freaking out. django for the past 4 months has major reverse sneezing (i think that's what it is). oh, another thing to add to the list for the next vet visit. i always thought it was nothing


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## jillnors2 (Apr 12, 2007)

One of my dogs does this whenever it's cold outside. She's done it for years.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

littlebuddy said:


> ok. now i am freaking out. django for the past 4 months has major reverse sneezing (i think that's what it is). oh, another thing to add to the list for the next vet visit. i always thought it was nothing


PLEASE read the post above by The Laughing Magpie and then the ones following it. Reverse sneezing in and of itself is not serious. Just mention a walk to my mom's pom and the reverse sneezing starts.


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