In this article I’ll tell you about the latest scare Sami gave us recently when he started doing this….
We rushed him to the emergency vet on a Sunday only to find out it was reverse sneezing.
Reverse Sneezing In Dogs
Earlier this year we spent a few months in Greece, working remote and living on our sailing boat, with our Westie dog Sami. We never had any health issues with him during our stay, we didn’t even have a vet, until he started to sound like he couldn’t breathe anymore.
That’s when we found out that reverse sneezing is a thing.
Why dogs do this? Our vet didn’t have a clear answer.
Some say that it can happen when dogs get overly excited.
Others say it happens after intense sniffing and digging sessions. 🙂
Another reason could be things that they are allergic to, like pollen.
Later that day, I shared our story on Sami’s Instagram…
After posting this, I got so many replies from other Westie owners who went through the exact same thing.
Just like me, most people had no idea about this, and when it happened they got scared just like I did. Some thought their dog was choking or having a seizure, which I completely understand. Of course panicking is not gonna do any good, but still. It’s hard to watch your dog struggle.
Some people say that rubbing your dog’s chest or massaging their throat seems to help.
Actually, this seems to be the solution that most people mention when dealing with reverse sneezing. Apparently, covering one or both nostrils can stop the sneezing. Since Sami never did this again, I haven’t had the chance to try this and see if it works. But, if you went through this with your dog, let me know in comments, what did you do to calm them down? And, if you tried doing the nostril thing, let me know if it worked! 🙂