What is that Choking, Gasping, Gagging Sound My Dog Makes? A Reverse Sneeze (with video)

[Guest guest]

My Gerhardt used to do this - at first I was panicking, but then when I found out what it was, I noticed he would do it when he was excited and happy about something going on, especially company coming! Good thing to know! But definitely call/see the vet if it goes on more than a minute or two, happens very often or doesn't resemble these videos.

This is pretty common. A dog owner calls a vet or emergency clinic because they think their dog is making some strange choking-type noise. And he is doing it over and over. They describe some weird noise their dog is making- it's not quite a choke, it's not vomit, it's not a cough and it's not a sneeze. Most dog owners describe it as being more like a sudden and repeated gag. What the dog is actually doing is called a reverse sneeze . It can be normal for some dogs and scary for pet owners that have never seen it. We have a video of what it looks like in the article.

 

During a reverse sneeze, your dog will make rapid inspirations, stand still with his elbows spread apart, extend his head, and his eyes may bulge. He'll make a loud snorting sound, which might make you think he has something caught in his throat. Many dog owners think their pet is suffocating during a reverse sneeze episode. Each reverse sneezing occurrence generally lasts for less than a minute up to two minutes.It can be normal in some dogs but can be abnormal if it occurs a lot. Go to the article and click on the video to see what a reverse sneeze looks like in a couple of dogs. It can look and sound a little different in different dogs so you may want to watch both videos. Go to Reverse Sneeze in Dogs. This article also has tips on how to stop it.Until next time, Dr. Jon