Most reverse sneezing episodes in dogs stop on their own within 30 seconds to a minute, but you can often cut them short by gently massaging your dog’s throat, briefly holding the nostrils closed, or lightly blowing on your dog’s face. These techniques encourage swallowing, which relaxes the throat spasm causing the episode. Reverse sneezing looks and sounds alarming, but it’s almost always harmless.
What Reverse Sneezing Actually Is
Reverse sneezing (technically called paroxysmal respiration) is a spasm of the soft palate and throat. Instead of pushing air out like a normal sneeze, your dog rapidly pulls air in through the nose, producing a loud snorting or honking sound. During the spasm, the trachea narrows, making it harder to get a normal amount of air into the lungs. Your dog will typically stand still, extend their head and neck, and make repeated forceful inhalations.
The episode looks dramatic, but your dog can still breathe. It ends when the spasm releases and the soft palate relaxes back into its normal position.
How to Stop an Episode in the Moment
You have a few options when your dog starts reverse sneezing:
- Gently massage the throat. Use light, circular pressure on the outside of the throat to help relax the spasm.
- Briefly close the nostrils. Hold them shut for just a second or two. This encourages your dog to swallow, which resets the soft palate.
- Blow lightly on the face. A gentle puff of air can trigger a swallow reflex that ends the episode.
- Stay calm and comfort your dog. Your anxiety can make the episode worse. Speaking in a soothing voice and keeping your dog relaxed helps it pass faster.
If none of these work, just wait. The spasm will resolve on its own, typically in under a minute. Avoid putting your fingers inside your dog’s mouth or doing anything forceful.
Common Triggers to Reduce or Avoid
Anything that irritates the throat or soft palate can set off a reverse sneeze. Common culprits include household irritants like perfume, cleaning sprays, candles, and cigarette smoke. Pollen, dust, and mold are frequent seasonal triggers. Some dogs reverse sneeze when they get excited, pull hard against a leash and collar, eat or drink too quickly, or go from warm indoor air to cold outdoor air.
If you notice a pattern, you can often reduce episodes significantly. Switching from a collar to a harness removes pressure on the throat. Running an air purifier helps with airborne irritants. Feeding from a slow-feeder bowl prevents the gulping that can trigger a spasm. During high-pollen seasons, wiping your dog’s face and nose after walks removes allergens before they cause irritation.
Why Some Breeds Get It More Often
Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds like Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers, and Boston Terriers are especially prone to reverse sneezing. Their elongated soft palates can get sucked into the throat during inhalation, triggering the spasm. For these dogs, reverse sneezing may be a regular occurrence rather than a rare event, and complete prevention isn’t always realistic. Keeping them at a healthy weight and minimizing exposure to irritants helps reduce frequency.
Small breeds and toy breeds are also commonly affected, though any dog of any size can reverse sneeze occasionally.
When It Might Be Something Else
Reverse sneezing is characterized by sudden, rapid inhalations through the nose followed by snorting or gagging sounds. It’s important to distinguish this from tracheal collapse, which produces a loud, persistent “honking” cough and is most common in toy breeds. Tracheal collapse tends to worsen over time and often happens during exercise or excitement, while reverse sneezing comes and goes in brief, self-limiting episodes.
Kennel cough sounds more like a dry, hacking cough and usually comes with other signs of illness like lethargy or nasal discharge. A dog with kennel cough stays symptomatic between coughing fits, whereas a reverse sneezing dog acts completely normal before and after an episode.
Nasal mites are another possible cause, especially if reverse sneezing becomes frequent or chronic. These tiny parasites (found worldwide) live inside the nasal passages and cause ongoing irritation. There’s no breed or sex predisposition, though dogs over three years old and larger breeds may be affected slightly more often. Diagnosis requires a vet to look inside the nasal passages with a small camera or flush the nasal cavity to collect the mites. If confirmed, antiparasitic medications are effective, though no single drug is specifically approved for nasal mites in dogs.
Signs That Warrant a Vet Visit
Occasional reverse sneezing, even a few times a week, is normal for many dogs. But certain changes signal that something beyond a simple throat spasm may be going on. Watch for episodes that last longer than a minute or two, a noticeable increase in frequency over days or weeks, nasal discharge (especially if bloody or one-sided), labored breathing between episodes, or your dog seeming lethargic or off after an episode ends.
If your dog’s gums or tongue ever turn blue or pale during an episode, that indicates they aren’t getting enough oxygen and needs immediate veterinary attention. Similarly, if your dog collapses or seems disoriented, something more serious than reverse sneezing is likely happening. For chronic cases where episodes happen daily, your vet may recommend antihistamines or anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the underlying irritation driving the spasms.