Dog Sneezing

Question
My lab (11 yrs.) has the same problem as Jenelle's dog with sneezing.  They put her under and did the scope, the x-rays, and biopsy about 4 months ago and found nothing that would be causing the sneezing.  She will go all night without sneezing but when she wakes up is when it starts.  It seems to be mainly when she gets up from laying down that she has an episode. It seems to be connected with movement since she can go for long periods of not sneezing when she's at rest. She also has a clear discharge coming from her right nostril.  I have had her on antibiotics, steriods, benedryl (4 months of this) and nothing seems to help this.  I have another appointment with the vet tomorrow to pick his brain again.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!!
Carol

Answer

Hi Carol,

To be honest, I don't recall my response to Jenelle, I get a lot of AllExpert questions. Sneezing and nasal discharge can be caused by dozens of conditions.

Clear nasal discharge, that's accompanied by sneezing, is often seen in animals with allergies. The discharge usually comes from both nostrils and is intermittent.  Only thick mucus discharge that can be yellowish, whitish, greenish or pink is a symptom of a more serious concern.

It's entirely possible that your dog has developed some kind of seasonal allergy. You won't really know if that's the case until the season changes, and there's a hard frost. If your dog improves at that point, you'll know. It's also possible that it's an environmental allergy, which means something inside of your home is causing your dog's sneezing and runny nose. This could be anything from your laundry detergent, surface cleaners you use, or even fabrics such as wool, or hundreds of other things. This kind of allergy won't improve with the change of season.

If your dog hasn't been checked for nasal mites, that's something you might want your vet to check for. Nasal mites are tiny bugs that can cause sneezing and nasal discharge. Sometimes (not always) the mites be visible,  they look like tiny white to light tan specks around the nostrils. The discharge nasal mites cause is usually clear, and comes from both nostrils.

If you suspect this is a seasonal condition, your vet can perform an allergen test to determine what allergens might be troubling your dog. An allergy medication can ease your dog's symptoms during the seasonal allergy period. However, an allergy medication alone often doesn't eliminate all the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Vacuum your carpets more frequently during the allergy season to ease your dog's symptoms. Keep your windows closed during the allergy season so that pollen and other allergens can't get into the house. Keep your dog inside as much as possible during the allergy season, especially on high-pollen days (your local newspaper can tell you when high-pollen days are forecast).

If your dog's allergy symptoms are quite severe, and especially if your dog suffers from the effects of non-seasonal airborne allergens, consider installing a HEPA filtration device in your home's central heating and air system. A HEPA system can remove most allergens from the air in your home.

I hope that helps.
Best of luck,

Patti