# Reverse sneezing



## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Not sure if anyone will answer today, my time is 8:41pm possibly later for you guys.
I walked in the room and Buddy Bear was in his kennel breathing very weird and loudy. On Google I looked up "breathing weird" pressed on a video and sounded like what Buddy Bear was doing. I started reading the comments and it said small breeds tend to reverse sneeze. I then look up "reverse sneeze" and press a video and it was exactly what Buddy Bear was doing. I read the comments that it was "okay" 
He is now laying down sleeping as I write this breathing normal. 
It was scary I think Sunshine did it once but I don't think lasted as long or loud as Buddy Bear. 
Have any of your Chi's done a reverse sneeze?


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

So I researched it (probably should have done that 1st other than just the videos) but apparently it's okay and "normal" Some recommend Benadryl to calm I believe but Buddy Bear is literally like 4 pounds and the tablets I have is the regular 25mg I give Jr. I'd have to break the pill down like 3 times or something. But he is acting completely normal thankfully and even ate his dinner.


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

I have a trick for you if this happens again. Just gently hold him and place the flat of your hand over his nostrils for a couple seconds, the remove your hand. You may need to do this more than once. I have had great success using this trick to interrupt the reverse sneezing cycle! Once the worst of it stops, just pet and soothe the dog until the breathing is good again. Hope this helps!


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

It certainly is noisy, isn't it? I have done what Reta suggested and it works. Some dogs are really scared when this happens, and others don't care!

The dosage of Benedryl is 1/4 of a 25mg tablet. This comes out to about 6.25mg. I think, if you get the liquid the vet could give you the dosage. I got this for a 6lb dog, so I think it is 1mg per pound. Do others think this is correct?


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

MelodyoftheForest said:


> I have a trick for you if this happens again. Just gently hold him and place the flat of your hand over his nostrils for a couple seconds, the remove your hand. You may need to do this more than once. I have had great success using this trick to interrupt the reverse sneezing cycle! Once the worst of it stops, just pet and soothe the dog until the breathing is good again. Hope this helps!


I had also read this online last night but I was terrified to "cover" his nostrils. I thought he wouldn't be able to breathe. 
But now I know it actually does help them and not just a lie or something not good for them.


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

susan davis said:


> It certainly is noisy, isn't it? I have done what Reta suggested and it works. Some dogs are really scared when this happens, and others don't care!
> 
> The dosage of Benedryl is 1/4 of a 25mg tablet. This comes out to about 6.25mg. I think, if you get the liquid the vet could give you the dosage. I got this for a 6lb dog, so I think it is 1mg per pound. Do others think this is correct?


Buddy Bear was completely fine and not scared whatsoever. I was the one who was completely terrified and yes very noisy. 
I also agree with the 1mg per pound (that's what the vet recommended for Jr 2-3 times a day) But the vet recommended the 25mg pill not the liquid 
Buddy Bear is roughly 4 pounds, literally would need 4mg. 
6.25mg would be too much, though some cases they recommend 2mg per pound. 
Possibly have to cut the 6.25 in half. 
Which in reality is hard. But thankfully he was completely fine.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I have given Bonnie, my 4 pounder a 1/4 of a benedryl. No problems. I only used it to see whether or not the insistent licking of her toes/feet was allergy related. Nope, just something she does. Doesn't ever lick to irritation of the skin, thankfully.


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Well that's good to know for the future in case Buddy Bear needs Benadryl.


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

So is wheezing and reverse sneezing the same thing? I looked up wheezing and it says its usually caused by some sort of allergies so like perfume/chemical or pollen. 
What's the reality of Sunshine all of a sudden being reactive to a chemical/pollen? 
I will say I had a plug in before bed (I usually do) but I had left it a bit long as the dogs went out once more and they had already finished their dinner and the plugin was still in as I had forgot. Maybe that's why.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Ari, I doubt if Sunshine is allergic to the plug in. You've had it going before, and she didn't react. Even if you had turned it off, the scent would still be in the air (for dogs, at least). What was she doing? Wheezing is much different than reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing makes like a honking sound, and wheezing is just that. Wheezing is more like a vet visit type of thing if it lasts any amount of time. 

My little girl, Bonnie, had a 'reaction' that included choking, problem breathing, and trying to get something out of her wind pipe this am while eating. She came out of her pen, right to me, shaking. I picked her up and held her. She almost immediately got a small piece of kibble up and out. She has such a short muzzle she does this every once in a while. I tell you this because yes, she was wheezing before she got the kibble up.


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

It was at 1AM she was sleeping. I woke up to the sound of a dog wheezing and it was Sunshine. She did stop about 10/15 minutes afterwards. I looked up dog wheezing and the 1st video was a dog soundings exactly like her. She didn't do it again all morning. 
I'm hoping it's not some type of infection which I doubt as she's acting completely normal. I was reading that many lose their appetite and act lethargic. 
I'm thinking of giving her some Benadryl at bedtime. 
Now that I think about it I can see how it probably wasn't the plugin as she's use to the smell.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Did she appear to have any trouble breathing during the wheezing? Usually dogs that wheeze use their abdominal muscles as well as their chest muscles when wheezing. Could you count the times she was breathing? Time the number of times she breathes in for 15 seconds and times it times 4. Usual is about 20-30 total. Do this when she is sleeping, or very quiet.


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## RachelLouise (Feb 8, 2018)

Hi  my Gizmo suffers terrible with reverse sneezing, he’s 2 in March and has always done it since we brought him home at 10 weeks old. As a young puppy all sorts of things would trigger it off...excitement, a change in the weather especially if it turned cold and he was going for a walk. It used to be absolutely terrifying for him and us!! But after a lot of research and talking to the vets we understand that it’s completly normal for small breeds like chihuahuas, and some suffer worse than others. He seems to be a lot better now compared to when he was younger and probably has a bad reverse sneeze fit around once a week or possibly nothing for weeks and then he gets over excited if his little doggie friends come to visit and it starts him off!it sounds horrific and soooo loud! We find if we gently massage his neck it sometimes helps ease it, or if it’s particually bad we cover his little nostrils for a second and then he swallows and it seems to break the cycle. It’s can sometimes take him 10-15 mins to completly settle after a bad one. Also we found last spring/summer from the end of may he was really bad, it must of been triggered through grass pollen we think. We gave him half a piriton allergy tablet on the bad days and it helped a lot. Once summer was over it stopped and has been only on rare occasions now. Will be interesting to see if it flares up again this summer, but at least we and him are now used to it and know what to do.


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

I want to say yes it seemed like she was having issues breathing while she was wheezing. Honestly I can't imagine any dog wheezing and breathing normally. 
I could see that she was using her abdominal muscles. I will see if I can count her breathing. 
I gave her Benadryl before bed and no more wheezing since yesterday. I'm hoping it was just random and doesn't happen again any time soon. 
I doubt that it's "allergies" with Sunshine only because she has never had any signs of allergies.
I also read that it's normal for Chi's.


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## RachelLouise (Feb 8, 2018)

both mine do reverse sneezing and they stand funny when they do it, like back legs squatting, literally gasping for air almost it’s horrible to see. Our youngest gets very upset by it. My friends chi’s also do it but are more wheezing and grunting rather than a full on fit of it


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Lets hope not. As an asthmatic, I know the discomfort of 'trying' to breathe!


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Yeah I read that it's almost like having an asthma attack. 
She was sorta like hunched over


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## RachelLouise (Feb 8, 2018)

It’s really odd, gizmos kind of used to it now bless him


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## RachelLouise (Feb 8, 2018)

I’ll get a pic of him next time he does it. If I ever figure out how to upload the pics lol


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Lol sounds good
BTW Gizmo and Violet are adorable in your profile pic


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## RachelLouise (Feb 8, 2018)

They look cute and innocent but believe me there not!there little horrors at the min!


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