[mamapajamas]

Hi all,

I had a minor heart attack last night when I got home and heard Button coughing and/or gagging when she came out to greet me.

My first thought was that she had been chewing on something she shouldn't have, and picked her up to try to soothe her, wondering what to do. Then the coughing and/or choking stopped.

She seemed fine, so I gave her dinner, and afterward, started playing with her. Then the coughing reflex started up again. I scooped her up and took her to our local animal emergency clinic.

The vet there checked her carefully, and diagnosed "reverse sneezing", which seems to be common among toy-sized dogs. I've always had large dogs, mostly mutts, so I'd never seen this before except in old dogs. She (the vet) showed me how to check Button's gums to make sure they're not turning blue so I could be sure she was getting enough air, and how to hold her and soothe her to get her to relax. It seems that this happens from time to time with toy breeds when they get overexcited. When they find that they're having a problem breathing, they then panic, and it starts a breathing crisis. Soothing the dog is the best way to break the cycle.

The vet also heard her coughing, and was able to diagnose the problem in fairly short order. She also fed Button about a tablespoon of canned dog food to make sure there weren't any obstructions or vomiting involved, so we were both satisfied with the diagnosis.

I don't mind saying that I was scared half to death last night. I was SO sure the little twirp had eaten something she shouldn't have, and was SO relieved to learn that it's a "toy breed thing", and fairly common, and easy to calm down, requiring no medications, just some TLC and hugs and snuggles. :wub::wub::wub:

 

[Maglily]

Same thing happened to Jodi, I thought he was choking (until I read about it here). So how do you hold him to calm him ? A friend of mine covered his nose so he had to breathe thru this mouth...to relax him???

 

[joyomom]

Both of mine do it, Mia sometimes more. But I am with you, it still scares me a little even though I know it's a normal thing.

Mia did it at a vet visit and it was reassuring to know she called it right away.

 

[MalteseJane]

View attachment 85951

I am posting this one more time. There have been a lot of posts concerning this.

 

[mamapajamas]

Same thing happened to Jodi, I thought he was choking (until I read about it here). So how do you hold him to calm him ? A friend of mine covered his nose so he had to breathe thru this mouth...to relax him???

I just pick her up and stroke her sides soothingly. Note that when I first saw her doing this, when I got home from work, she was greeting me and that was when she started the coughing/gagging whatever. I just picked her up and talked to her quietly, and she quickly stopped. It was when she started doing it the second time that I took her to the ER. And it turned out that I'd done the right thing in the first place.

According to the article Janine posted, closing off the nostrils is a good way to see if you can stop it. I'll be going by what the vet I saw said.

That looks like a good article, Janine. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Maglily]

OK thanks, it's good to know my friend did the right thing too.

 

[Snowbody]

Theresa - I know exactly how you felt. Tyler had reverse sneezing after his bordetella shot. The dose was given orally into his nose. I read that irritants to the nose can also cause it. It freaked me out because it sounds like they can't breathe. My neighbor swears by the put your finger in front of their noses so they breathe through their mouth technique, but I do the calm down thing. I can't even get my finger in front of his nose when it's happening. Sending hugs to you.:grouphug:

 

[mamapajamas]

What I'm going to have to be watching for, though, is for this little twit to discover that this is a GOOD way to get some hugs when she wants attention! It would be just like her to figure that one out... :innocent:

:w00t:

 

[coconuts]

Coconut and Monk (our yorkie) both do this when they get excited. Coconut does it so bad sometime that I have to pick her up to calm her down and sometimes if I blow in her face it seems to help. I do pet grooming and alot of times when the dogs mom come in they get so excited and they start doing it. So I guess it is pretty common.

 

[Luna'sMom]

Poor Luna does this when she gets really excited sometimes - I just cover her nose till she breathes from her mouth to reset the soft palette (which is what's causing the sneezing when it gets in the way) and then she goes right back to her crazy loony self