snoring

Question
our 12 y.o. Pomeranian/Chihuahua female is making snoring  sounds, while awake or asleep, varying in intensity...any ideas? Thank you !!!

Answer
Hi Art,

Some dogs make a snorting, honking or gasping noise, known as "Reverse Sneezing". It actually has nothing to do with sneezing, but is a spasm caused by an irritation of the soft palate. The soft palate is a soft, fleshy tissue extension off the hard palate, or roof of the mouth. Small dogs in particular can exhibit this behavior.
Some animals can have this condition for their entire lives, or it may develop as the dog ages. During the spasm, the dog will usually turn her elbows outward and extend her neck while gasping inwards with a distinctive loud snorting sound. Gently massaging the throat area or pinching the dog's nostrils shut so she must breath through her mouth can help shorten the episode. Sometimes taking the dog outside in the fresh air stops the spasm. Once the attack ceases, all goes back to normal.

If your dog experiences this behavior fairly frequently and the episodes are severe, a trip to the vet is in order to determine other possible causes, which can include viral infections, polyps, excessive soft palate tissue, and nasal mites. However, many cases of reverse sneezing appear to have no identifiable cause. Reverse sneezing appears a lot worse than it is, generally posing no health threats whatsoever.

I can't tell you, based on your description if your dog is having episodes of reverse sneezing. You can watch this short video of a dog having a reverse sneezing attack, to see if it's what your dog is doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HXcMLokADc

If that video isn't what's going on with your dog, be on the safe side, and have your dog examined by your vet to rule out a medical problem.

Best of luck,
Patti