Is My Dog Choking, or is it Reverse Sneezing? | Vet Tips

Have you ever rushed down to your vet after hearing your pet making a wheezing snorting sound like this? you can relax it's very likely they're not choking in fact it's actually completely harmless and it's very common in our furry friends and that is reverse sneezing but what exactly is reverse sneezing well it's kind of a little bit like your dog having a hiccup but it's actually when your dog is inhaling air rapidly rather than outward like a normal sneeze resulting in a very distinct snorting and honking s while we're not entirely sure why they do this some common triggers for this reflex type reaction can include environmental allergens like pollen or dust overe excitement like when they meet new people or other animals foreign material like grass seeds or growths in masses in the airway essentially anything that causes irritation or inflammation at the back of the throat has the potential to cause a reverse smeeze these events might seem concerning but remember that in most cases it's temporary and harmless many episodes will be relatively shortlived and last less than 30 to 60 seconds I know it can be stressful to witness but the good news is is that reverse sneezing typically doesn't require any major medical treatment now if it's persistent or prolonged it's absolutely worth a trip to your vet so that they can help determine if medication may help or if there's something more serious going on if it only happens occasionally here are a few things that you could do to help your pet during a reverse sneezing episode the first is to stay calm yourself your pet can sense your emotions and so try to remain relaxed you can also gently massage their throat and this can help kind of sooth irritation and make their focus on something else also creating a calm environment so reduce any excitement or triggers sometimes what people think is reverse sneezing can actually be signs of other underlying diseases such as allergies asthma or infectious Airway diseases to name a few now remember if reverse seing becomes frequent or severe it's a good idea to consult with your vet a