# Why is My Dog Sneezing?



## emichel (May 3, 2012)

A couple of days ago I noticed that my dog sneezed a couple of times. He had never done this before. Now it seems like it is increasing in frequency. He doesn't seem particularly distressed by it, other than maybe a little confused about what is happening. I am wondering if he could be allergic to tree pollen or some other springtime blooming plant. Since I brought him home last year in late June, we have not been through this time of year together. I'd rather avoid a vet visit, though maybe they'd be willing to tell me something over the phone. More than likely they'd say "it could be a lot of things, you'll have to bring him in". I'm sure it could be a lot of things, but I'm wondering if you guys have any ideas. At least you won't charge me a consult fee, right?  Seriously -- I guess I'm still trying to find the balance between being a responsible dog person vs. overreacting.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Eileen, keep a log of when where etc this happens.. and see if it reveals anything. If it keeps up you might want to make a vet visit.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Great idea, Dave!


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Thanks, Dave. I've been paying better attention, and it seems like he sneezes more when he is in fresh mown grass. He does sometimes sneeze indoors, too, though. I was looking it up online, and one website said something to the effect that if you don't do anything the sneezing will last about 2 weeks, and if the vet treats it it will take about 14 days. Well, I will call his vet tomorrow and see what they say, just to be safe. My baby's worth it.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

Just be careful with the vet. There are times when you need treatments for dogs and times when they will medicate too much and it starts a cycle of problems. It's hard with dogs because you feel responsible for them and may react differently than you would if you had the same symptoms yourself! It's a delicate balance. Something else to think about is to perhaps wipe off his feet after being outside?


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## Sammi's Mama (Jul 19, 2012)

Sammi did this and I took her in. My vet said it was kennel cough but very early (no coughing). She never misses her vaccine but he told me there were several strains and the vaccine is not 100% on all of them. She was better in a week with antibiotics.

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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sammi's Mama said:


> Sammi did this and I took her in. My vet said it was kennel cough but very early (no coughing). She never misses her vaccine but he told me there were several strains and the vaccine is not 100% on all of them. She was better in a week with antibiotics.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Kennel Cough is not even CLOSE to 100% effective. It only protects against a few of the MANY strains, and only for a few months. Kennel Cough is usually a virus, so antibiotics actually do no good, other than lining the vet's pocket and making the owner feel like they are "doing something". The only reason to use antibiotics would be foe a secondary infection. (for instance, when people get bronchitis or a sinus infection after first having a cold)

Kennel Cough in healthy animals is self-limiting, and not very serious. The vast majority of dogs recover from it with no more ill effects than we have after having a cold.

IMO, the best reason for insisting on Kennel Cough vaccine is so that boarding facilities can say, "Well, your dog didn't get it HERE! All our dogs have had KC vaccine!" Your dog CAN pick up Kennel Cough any time s/he is exposed to other dogs, because it is passed exactly the same way a cold is. Unless you keep a completely isolated population, the possibility is there.

That said, the risk of the vaccine, IMO, is higher than the risk of the disease. (though, in fairness, it's one of the vaccines with lower side effects, too) But the fact of the matter is that if you REALLY want it for protective value, rather than because your boarding/day care/grooming facility requires it, (and that could be, if you have a dog who has other, underlying, health issues which could make any respiratory illness dangerous) you need to give it a minimum of twice a year, and some sources say every 3-4 months for real protection... because that's as long as it lasts.


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Thanks, Karen. So if it is kennel cough, I suppose I should not be exposing him to other dogs. That would be hard. Benjamin is the most sociable dog I could imagine, and he does play with other dogs, a lot. Keeping him isolated would be cruel and unsual punishment! I am going to phone the vet right now, but wanted to check in here first. I do tend to think along the lines that if it is a relatively minor thing, akin to a cold, I'd prefer to just let it run it's course and continue on with life as usual. The only thing I really worry about is lepto and giardia so I'm careful about his drinking water, but other than that, I think he should just build up immunity. I'll see what the vet says.


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## Sammi's Mama (Jul 19, 2012)

Sammi was starting training and the vaccine is required for classes. We actually had to miss the first class due to her being sick. I had to treat her in order to clear her for the next class. I know antibiotics do not work on viruses but whatever she had it cut the recovery time in half.

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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Oh well, I just made an appointment for him to see the vet tomorrow. He doesn't seem all that sick, but if he has something contagious I should know, so he doesn't make other dogs sick. I guess that means I should cancel his play date tonight. Shoot.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

emichel said:


> Thanks, Karen. So if it is kennel cough, I suppose I should not be exposing him to other dogs. That would be hard. Benjamin is the most sociable dog I could imagine, and he does play with other dogs, a lot. Keeping him isolated would be cruel and unsual punishment! I am going to phone the vet right now, but wanted to check in here first. I do tend to think along the lines that if it is a relatively minor thing, akin to a cold, I'd prefer to just let it run it's course and continue on with life as usual. The only thing I really worry about is lepto and giardia so I'm careful about his drinking water, but other than that, I think he should just build up immunity. I'll see what the vet says.


I THINK (but you'd have to check with the vet on this) that KC is usually a cough, not sneezing. But I have to say that whenever Kodi has had something that might be contagious, I do keep him completely away from other dogs. (he hasn't had KC, but did have Clostridium in Jan. I kept him home until he had finished his antibiotics and was no longer contagious) It is only fair to all the other owners and their dogs. Just because KC isn't a major illness doesn't mean that it's not an inconvenience to the owners and uncomfortable for the dog. We go to a lot of dog trials and while I try to limit Kodi's exposure (he only drinks from his own water dish, and that is never where other dogs can get to it, I never let him touch noses or sniff butts with dogs at trials, and I limit his sniffing around on the grounds) he is still exposed more than dogs who don't trial. I would NOT be happy to find that I was kenneled next to a dog who "might" have KC at a trial, and the AKC requires that known ill dogs be excluded from trials.

If it were my dog, I'd keep him away from other dogs until you confer with your vet. If it's allergies, you can let him play with others without worry. If it might be KC, you probably should keep him away from other dogs until he's over it.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sammi's Mama said:


> Sammi was starting training and the vaccine is required for classes. We actually had to miss the first class due to her being sick. I had to treat her in order to clear her for the next class. I know antibiotics do not work on viruses but whatever she had it cut the recovery time in half.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


But you don't KNOW it cut the recovery time in half, because you don't know how long she would have been sick without the abx.  I'm not saying you shouldn't have used them... this is a decision every owner has to make with the help of their vet. It's also more critical with small puppies, whose immune systems aren't strong yet.

And yeah, the training center requiring KC vaccine is another CYA move on their part. It's for their benefit more than the puppies'. Again, not saying you shouldn't have done that either. Sometimes you have to just shrug your shoulders and go with the flow. Starting Puppy K is certainly more important than taking a stand on KC vaccine!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> Kennel Cough is not even CLOSE to 100% effective. It only protects against a few of the MANY strains, and only for a few months. Kennel Cough is usually a virus, so antibiotics actually do no good, other than lining the vet's pocket and making the owner feel like they are "doing something". The only reason to use antibiotics would be foe a secondary infection. (for instance, when people get bronchitis or a sinus infection after first having a cold)
> 
> Kennel Cough in healthy animals is self-limiting, and not very serious. The vast majority of dogs recover from it with no more ill effects than we have after having a cold.
> 
> ...


Yup! Agree with your post, Karen. Augie has had kennel cough. Caught it from doggie day care. They require the Bordatella vacc. but only once a year, which is worthless, and I feel the same way - it is to cover their hineys. He had had the vacc. I don't recall him sneezing at all - it was a cough, kind of like croup in a kid. It was kind of bad one night and I was about to call the vet, but then it improved and it probably lingered about a week.

Until you know your dog doesn't have kennel cough, I would keep him away from other dogs. Other owners will appreciate it. While most times, I think it is an illness like common cold in humans, I do recall hearing on the forum here where some dogs have gotten extremely ill with it - I think Lucille's Rosie was one.

I do know the pollens are out here in SW WA. I saw a breeze hit one of my evergreens the other day - at quick glance it looked like the tree was on fire and smoking, a huge cloud of pollen blew out of it. When you mentioned Benjamin sneezing, emichel, I also wondered about something up his nose as a possibility.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

emichel said:


> Oh well, I just made an appointment for him to see the vet tomorrow. He doesn't seem all that sick, but if he has something contagious I should know, so he doesn't make other dogs sick. I guess that means I should cancel his play date tonight. Shoot.


Yeah, if I was the owner of the other dog(s), I'd appreciate it! Hopefully, you'll find out he's just fine and can reschedule soon!


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

krandall said:


> I never let him touch noses or sniff butts with dogs at trials, and I limit his sniffing around on the grounds)


I had to laugh at this, Karen. Benjamin lives to touch noses and sniff butts, and would be miserable if he couldn't do those things! ound: For better or worse, I seem to have ended up with a dog with very high social needs as well as high physical energy. He is not hyper, just young and athletic and just loves loves loves to play with his friends! The poor boy sits around with me at work all day, except for a few short walks where he does get to interact with some dogs, but that's nowhere near as much fun as going on play dates, or to the dog park! There are some really beautiful ones around here with separate small dog areas and I just discovered one that has a long trail that's all within the fenced in area. We had so much fun there last weekend! I have read and thought a lot about the whole daycare/dogpark issue, and I look at it this way. I _know_ that he would be depressed and unhappy if he did not get enough social contact with other dogs, wheras there is only a _chance_ that he might catch somthing while doing so. Of course I monitor things, and he is eating a very healthy home cooked designed by Sabine (haven't even had time to post about that) diet. He is strong and healthy and if he gets sick we will deal with it, but meanwhile, a boy just wants to have fun! 

Anyway... I really don't think it's kennel cough, maybe it's kennel sneeze, ha ha, but better to be safe than sorry. I noticed that when we just went out for a walk a while ago he started sneezing like crazy when we got in the grass, so maybe that's it. Linda, I noticed that we live in the same part of the world, so you know what I mean. Things seem to be blooming like crazy around here. It's beautiful, but not good for allergy sufferers! But I agree I should be considerate of other dogs and their people. I don't want to be like my ignorant overzealous co-worker who insists on coming to work with a cold. I so hope he only has to miss this one play date, though. Keep your fingers crossed, everyone.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

lol Benjamin seems sounds like a FUN GUY!!!
Tillie could care less about socializing with dogs and seems VERY content to snuggle and nap all day long... lol


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## Miss Paige (Apr 4, 2008)

The sneeze could also be an allergy. Mine sneeze in the spring when things are in bloom, or at other times depending on what the weather is doing.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Benjamin is a great dog. Emmie played with him last weekend at one of the amazing off leash dog parks in Seattle. He's getting very tall and is as cute as you can imagine. I adore the boy. Hope he feels better soon so he can have fun at his birthday get together in a couple of weeks.


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Thanks, Jeanne, yeah that was a really fun playtime, wasn't it? I have no doubt he will be well in a couple of weeks, and ready to party!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

emichel said:


> I had to laugh at this, Karen. Benjamin lives to touch noses and sniff butts, and would be miserable if he couldn't do those things! ound: For better or worse, I seem to have ended up with a dog with very high social needs as well as high physical energy. He is not hyper, just young and athletic and just loves loves loves to play with his friends! The poor boy sits around with me at work all day, except for a few short walks where he does get to interact with some dogs, but that's nowhere near as much fun as going on play dates, or to the dog park! There are some really beautiful ones around here with separate small dog areas and I just discovered one that has a long trail that's all within the fenced in area. We had so much fun there last weekend! I have read and thought a lot about the whole daycare/dogpark issue, and I look at it this way. I _know_ that he would be depressed and unhappy if he did not get enough social contact with other dogs, wheras there is only a _chance_ that he might catch somthing while doing so. Of course I monitor things, and he is eating a very healthy home cooked designed by Sabine (haven't even had time to post about that) diet. He is strong and healthy and if he gets sick we will deal with it, but meanwhile, a boy just wants to have fun!
> 
> Anyway... I really don't think it's kennel cough, maybe it's kennel sneeze, ha ha, but better to be safe than sorry. I noticed that when we just went out for a walk a while ago he started sneezing like crazy when we got in the grass, so maybe that's it. Linda, I noticed that we live in the same part of the world, so you know what I mean. Things seem to be blooming like crazy around here. It's beautiful, but not good for allergy sufferers! But I agree I should be considerate of other dogs and their people. I don't want to be like my ignorant overzealous co-worker who insists on coming to work with a cold. I so hope he only has to miss this one play date, though. Keep your fingers crossed, everyone.


I don't think going to the dog park or day care is the same as going to trials. At any particular dog park or day care, you are going to have pretty much the same population of dogs. Sure, there's still a possibility of passing something around, but it's a fairly stable population. That's not true at dog shows and trials, the dogs you're with one weekend might have been with a completely different group of dogs the week before. Just after one of the big Springfield, MA shows last fall, the owners were asked NOT to show their dogs the following weekend because a dog had come down with distemper right after the show. (meaning it was contagious AT the show) Fortunately, the outbreak seemed to be contained, but it was a bit scary.

It's also COMPLETELY different for dogs who are playing naturally, and want to sniff each other and the same behavior at a show. We're there to compete, not to play. Both my dog and the other person's dog need to be paying attention to US, not the dogs around them. Also, dogs on leashes are much more likely to be reactive toward each other, many dogs at shows are not neutered/spayed (adding hormones to the mix) and it's just a more "charged" atmosphere than a casual play time.

Kodi loves playing with other dogs too, and certainly gets plenty of play time with dogs I know and trust. He tends to be a "soft" dog, and can easily be overwhelmed by dogs who come on too strong, though. between that and the fact that the "small dog" areas at our local dog parks are usually VERY small, with no other dogs, we haven't used them much. Besides, we have lots of open space nearby where he can run with his "buddies" on trails and such. So we have less need for dog parks. (our property is 5 acres, so bigger than most dog parks, and backs up onto farm land and conservation land on 2 sides)


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

We're very fortunate in the Seattle metro area as our off-leash parks are large (anywhere from 40 to 4 acres) and some have lake access for the dogs to swim. Emmie loves going to see her buddies and to run and run and run - she's a fast little girl.


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## BEACHPLUM (Feb 23, 2013)

I didn't have a chance to read all of the responses, forgive me if someone already suggested this...

Could be a blade of grass he sniffed up and is stuck in his nose. The only reason I know this is because it just happened to a friend of mines dog. (lab) the vet found it in his sinus cavity. She had the same issue of him always sneezing.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

BEACHPLUM said:


> I didn't have a chance to read all of the responses, forgive me if someone already suggested this...
> 
> Could be a blade of grass he sniffed up and is stuck in his nose. The only reason I know this is because it just happened to a friend of mines dog. (lab) the vet found it in his sinus cavity. She had the same issue of him always sneezing.


Yea, Kodi sniffed in some grass seed heads last fall and spent two days sneezing. I knew what it was, though, because I found him surrounded by the seed heads (dried ornamental grass in my front enrty!) sneezing his head off!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

I may have to travel with my guys one day this summer up to Seattle to check out one of these parks. We do have a dog park here - there is a separate area for small dogs. But it is in a really secluded area and it made me really uncomfortable the one time I went over there to check it out. I have a son in Seattle.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

A very strange thing,when our Dizzie was about 8 months old he and the cat[Teddie] both started sneezing and were under the weather,any way we took them both to the splendid vet,and they both had nasty infections that required antibiotics,so they sat side by side on the sofa feeling very sorry for themselves one Saturday afternoon,and kept very close until they began to feel better a couple or so days later,then one of our other cats became unwell with the same bug.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Eileen - any updates on how Benjamin is doing? Is he still sneezing? Did it progress into anything else, like a cough? I just had Finn in to the vet as he started chasing his tail, and going after his hiney. I thought maybe he had an anal gland issue. But no. And no fleas. They think it is allergies. They said they have seen lots of allergies in the last week or so. We had some nice weather recently and the boys were out in the yard playing on those nice days. And I haven't given a bath since. I need to give him a bath. I gave him some Benadryl and I got a spray at the vet to put on the rash on the base of his tail where he has been biting at it. 

I am wondering - is it better to cut their hair down if they have allergies? Or better to leave it long. I wonder with how light and airy it is and how it floats, that maybe the allergens get trapped next to the skin?? I have no idea, but debating on whether I should get him cut down.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Linda, that is a bummer about the allergies. Bath time more frequently this spring, I guess, huh? I've heard that a shorter cut is better for those with allergies because of what you stated: allergens getting caught in the long hair. Poor Finn.


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

My Lucy sneezes just for the heck of it, it seems. She has this little sneeze she does when she's excited like meeting someone or when I give her the command "heel" after a front and center recall (ok, sort of centered).


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

krandall said:


> (our property is 5 acres, so bigger than most dog parks, and backs up onto farm land and conservation land on 2 sides)


I'm green with envy! Sounds beautiful!


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## aaronlove (Apr 10, 2013)

I don't think it is got allergic rhinitis is the smell. I heard that seems to intestines and stomach a cold also can make dog to sneeze. You'd better bring it to the vet.


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## wynne (Apr 30, 2011)

Maya just started sneezing too. Daughter was supposed to take her , then feel asleep. Hoping I can get an appointment soon.


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Oh, when I saw Wynne's post I realized that I'd started the thread and never followed up on it. Sorry everyone, it's my ADD -- seriously! Yeah, it turned out that the vet checked him all over and determined he was perfectly healthy and had probably just snuffed something up his nose, probably grass. A lot of lawns had been mowed and he'd been walking around sniffing in a lot of grass clippings, and I thought that was probably what it was but just wanted to be sure. That evening, after we saw the vet, he had one big sneezing fit, and after that it stopped! Presumably he'd sneezed out whatever it was that was up there, which I guess is the whole point of sneezing after all.  He's been fine ever since. Oh yeah, except for one other time after walking through grass clippings, he sneezed a little after that, but it was gone by the next day. It really is kind of crazy making how our dogs can have a symptom that can be a gazillion things, and then we and the vet have to figure out the cause, but I know I've been incredibly lucky to have such a healthy dog. At least so far knock on wood and all that stuff.


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## MyLittleHavanese (Jan 15, 2013)

We had a sneezing adventure with Gizmo about a year ago. He came in from the yard and was panicked and doing the reverse sneeze and wanted to bed picked up. He continued to sneeze off and on until DW came home from work a short time later. Of course this happened on a weekend so we found an emergency veterinarian hospital in our area that was open and took him there. They looked and could not find anything and wanted to send us home with some benadryl, one look at our faces and they knew this was not an option. They had to knock him out to check further. We received a call about 2 hrs later that he was ready to come home and when could we pick him up? I told them right now as we were in their parking lot. So after all the drama and 300 dollars later, I was shown the 5 inch piece of grass they retrieved from above his soft palate. The thing I took away from all this is you know your dog better than anyone and if they do not seem right insist something be done.


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