Snorking, Hacking, Honking, and Roaring (part two)

Harsh snorting and/or gasping that begins and ends abruptly, particularly when the pet is excited, is probably reverse sneezing. Despite its name, it does not look or sound anything at all like sneezing. If you need help identifying this common, yet somehow indescribable noise, bring a video to your vet. Some gifted individuals at the hospital can mimic this sound accurately enough for you to pick it out of a lineup, but—for the rest of us unfortunates—it can be challenging to reassure you about something your pet refuses to do in our presence. Reverse sneezing can be a bit worse at certain times of the year due to inhaled allergens, so we occasionally treat it with allergy medicine.

The phenomenon known as “reverse sneezing” is harmless, but it can be difficult to distinguish from the more dangerous soft palate noise described in our last piece. Soft palate noise, the kind that can usher in heat stroke and emergency visits, is a common problem for “squash-faced” breeds (bulldogs, pugs, and similar). It’s a moist kind of snoring sound that may get softer and louder, but it never totally goes away for any prolonged period of time. Many people that own this kind of dog don’t really notice the noise in its quieter phase because they’ve become so accustomed to it. Pets with reverse sneezing, on the other hand, can be any breed or shape; importantly, they breathe silently (sometimes for days or weeks on end) between their noisy spells. Episodes are short, a series of harsh, rasping snorts, and are often triggered by some relatively exciting event like meeting a friend or successfully startling the postal carrier. It typically ends just as abruptly as it began. Many owners describe curtailing such events by speaking calmly to the pet or rubbing his neck. The dangerous kind of soft palate noise is much more persistent and resolves very, very slowly.

A final noisy upper respiratory condition is laryngeal paralysis, which most commonly affects large breed, older dogs. The larynx is the gateway to the windpipe, meant to open wide for breathing and close for swallowing. A damaged or aging larynx falls partially closed when it is supposed to be fully open, first becoming audible as a sort of roaring or grunting component to heavy breathing. As the larynx gets weaker (over a period of years, usually), the noise evolves into more of a whistling or squeaking sound as that part of the airway becomes progressively more constricted. The partially closed larynx blocks efficient air intake, which hampers panting and can lead to disaster during hot weather. The most reliable way to address this problem is surgery, but it’s a somewhat complicated and expensive procedure that is not performed at most clinics.

If your dog is “making a weird noise,” it’s likely one of these respiratory quirks. Some are little more than a nuisance, but others signal danger. Discuss it with your vet (hint: bring a video!) at the next visit so that you can be knowledgeable and prepared well before emergency strikes.

Dr M.S. Regan