Reverse Sneezing in Dogs: What It Looks Like, What to Do and When It Is an Emergency

If you are reading this while your dog is mid-episode, look at three things first: where the air is moving, what the mouth is doing, and what color the gums are.

In a reverse sneeze, the dog pulls air inward through the nose in quick, forceful breaths. Cornell's veterinary college describes it as a reflex set off by irritation in the nasopharynx, the area behind the nose and above the palate. A normal sneeze pushes air out through the nose. A reverse sneeze does the opposite, and the glottis, the opening to the windpipe, is closed during it. The dog usually keeps its mouth closed and stands still.

Choking looks different. The AVMA says a choking pet has trouble breathing, paws at its mouth, makes choking sounds while breathing or coughing, and may have blue-tinged lips or tongue. A dog that is pawing at its mouth, cannot get air, or has gums turning blue or gray is not having an ordinary reverse sneeze. That dog needs emergency care now, so head for the nearest emergency vet and call ahead if you can.

If your dog is standing with its neck out, snorting, with a closed mouth and pink gums, and it seems aware of you, you are most likely watching a reverse sneeze. Keep your eyes on the dog the whole time anyway. If anything on the emergency list below shows up, the plan changes.

A reverse sneeze has a recognizable pattern, and knowing it makes the next one much less frightening.

Cornell lists the typical look: the dog stands still with its neck extended and head tilted back, elbows pointing outward, nostrils flared, mouth closed, and lips pulled back. Then come repeated, rapid, forceful inhalations. The sound is loud snorting, honking, or gasping, which is why so many owners think of choking or asthma.

How long does it last? VCA Animal Hospitals says an episode can run from several seconds to about a minute. Cornell gives a wider range, from a few seconds to minutes. Duration alone does not tell a vet what is going on, but a long episode is one more thing to write down and mention.

As for pain, VCA describes the typical case as not harmful, with no ill effects, and with the dog normal before and after. A short, occasional episode in a dog that bounces right back is usually not dangerous, and you should not assume it hurts or threatens your dog's life. What matters is the pattern over time, which I cover below.

The goal is to stay calm and help your dog settle. Your dog reads your body language, so a steady voice and slow hands help.

Here is what Cornell and VCA describe as safe to try:

1. Stay calm and do not restrain the dog forcefully.
2. Gently stroke or massage the neck or throat, or stroke the head.
3. Let the dog settle into a calm position.
4. Offer something to lick, or a small amount of water, only if the dog is alert, able to swallow, and not choking. VCA says licking or drinking may stimulate swallowing.
5. Cornell describes briefly holding the nostrils closed for a few seconds to encourage swallowing.
6. Cornell also mentions blowing into the dog's face as a way to encourage swallowing. Skip this one if choking, a facial injury, or severe breathing trouble is possible.

What to skip matters just as much. Do not put your fingers into the mouth of a conscious, frightened dog unless you can see an object and can remove it safely because you suspect choking. Do not keep treating it as a reverse sneeze if the dog cannot breathe, paws at its mouth, has blue or gray gums, collapses, or stays distressed after a couple of minutes. And do not offer water to a dog that is struggling, because swallowing is not safe in that state.

Once the episode ends, watch your dog for a few minutes. Normal breathing, pink gums, and a return to whatever it was doing are reassuring signs.

Treat these signs as an emergency and contact an emergency veterinarian immediately: suspected choking, open-mouth breathing, blue, gray, or very pale gums, collapse, severe or persistent trouble breathing, inability to breathe, or loss of consciousness.

The ASPCA also lists choking, pale gums, rapid breathing, difficulty standing, loss of consciousness, seizures, and heavy bleeding as emergencies, and it advises getting the pet to an emergency-care facility right away. The emergency vet directory on DogServ can help you find one near you. If you can, have another person drive while you keep an eye on your dog.

For choking, the AVMA brochure linked above gives first-aid instructions and directs owners to seek veterinary care immediately. Read the steps in advance so you are not learning them in the moment. If your dog becomes unconscious or stops breathing, our guide on how to do CPR on a dog applies. That guide is for that situation only, not for an ordinary reverse sneeze.

I would rather you make an unnecessary trip to the emergency vet than wait on a dog that cannot breathe. If you are unsure, call the clinic on the way and describe what you see.

Not every worrying pattern is an emergency. Some are a reason to book a regular appointment, and sooner is better than later.

Call your regular vet promptly if episodes get longer or more frequent, keep happening for days or weeks, or come with any of these:

• Nasal discharge or bleeding from the nose
• Coughing, including between episodes
• Tiredness or lethargy
• Fever or poor appetite
• Tiring easily on walks or play
• Breathing that looks off between episodes

The reason is practical. In a 2023 observational study of 30 dogs, 63% had another respiratory sign, inflammatory airway disorders turned up in 57%, and episodes continued despite treatment in 61% of the dogs with follow-up. Those dogs had all been referred for a full workup, so the numbers do not describe every dog that reverse sneezes. They do show that a repeating pattern can have an underlying cause worth looking for. The authors concluded that reverse sneezing can mark irritation in the nasopharynx and should be investigated when it persists or looks clinically concerning.

Also call the vet if your dog has been around other dogs recently and is now coughing or running a fever, or if it is unvaccinated. Those details help the vet sort out infection.

Many things can set off the reflex, and sometimes there is no clear trigger at all.

Cornell and VCA name these common ones:

• Excitement
• Pulling against a leash
• Eating or drinking too quickly
• Dust
• Pollen
• Grass or other plant material
• Smoke
• Perfume or strong odors
• Nasal secretions and allergic irritation

Less common causes include nasal mites, foreign material in the nose or throat, infection, masses, an elongated soft palate or other airway shape differences, and vomiting or stomach irritation. AAHA notes that reverse sneezing can show up alongside nasopharyngeal reflux, pharyngeal collapse, or gastroesophageal reflux, which is why a vet may ask about swallowing and tummy trouble.

You can do a few simple things at home. Cut back on smoke, sprays, and strong perfumes around your dog. Slow down meals and water if your dog gulps. Ask your vet whether collar pressure might be a trigger for your dog. In the study above, 10% of the dogs had a foreign body in the nose or nasopharynx, and 27% had an anatomical or functional disorder. Allergies are one possible cause, and our guide to dog allergies explains the signs, but they are not the only one.

Any dog of any age or sex can reverse sneeze. Cornell reports it more often in dogs under 15 kg (about 33 pounds) and in brachycephalic, or flat-faced, breeds. In the 30-dog study, half the dogs weighed under 5 kg and 27% weighed 5 to 15 kg, so small and toy dogs were overrepresented there.

If you have a small or flat-faced dog, you will probably see this more than other owners do. That does not make every episode a problem. It does mean a vet who knows your dog's airway can tell you whether your dog's pattern looks ordinary or needs a closer look.

Those study figures come from dogs that were referred for a full workup. Do not read them as how common these problems are in all dogs that reverse sneeze.

Other conditions can sound similar, and telling them apart changes what you do next. The Merck Veterinary Manual separates reverse sneezing, which pulls air inward through the nose, from coughing, which pushes air outward.

A dry goose-honk cough is more associated with kennel cough or tracheal collapse than with a reverse sneeze, so the honking sound by itself does not settle the question. Kennel cough usually follows contact with other dogs, which is worth mentioning if your dog has been at boarding, daycare, grooming, or the dog park. Fever, nose or eye discharge, loss of appetite, and stomach or nerve signs point toward a more serious infection, and our guide to distemper in dogs covers those. A cough with fainting, faster breathing, or tiring easily could involve the heart, and that needs prompt veterinary care.

If you are not sure which one you are hearing, a short video is the best tool you have. A dog can't be diagnosed from a sound alone, because infection, tracheal collapse, foreign bodies, nasal polyps or tumors, and other conditions can look alike.

Your vet starts with the story. Describe what you saw, and show the video if you have one. Then comes a physical exam of the mouth, nose, throat, heart, and lungs.

What happens next depends on the pattern. Your vet may recommend blood tests, allergy testing, head or neck X-rays, chest X-rays if lower-airway or heart disease is possible, a sedated exam of the mouth and upper airway, or rhinoscopy to look inside the nasal passages and nasopharynx. Cornell says vets may treat suspected allergies or mites when episodes are frequent or severe, and that if signs continue they may use a sedated exam, head X-rays, and rhinoscopy to look for a mass or foreign object. Treatment follows the cause, such as managing allergy or mites, removing foreign material, or correcting an anatomical problem like an elongated soft palate.

On medicine, VCA says vets may prescribe anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, or decongestant medication in selected cases. That is the vet's decision for your dog. Whether a product is right, safe, and compatible with anything else your dog takes depends on the individual dog, so ask your vet first and use only the product and amount your vet gives you. Our page on Benadryl for dogs explains why that call comes first.

Here is a short list to write down or film before the visit:

• The date, how long each episode lasted, and how often they happen
• What was going on just before, such as a walk, a meal, a spray, or excitement
• The sound and posture
• Gum color during and after
• How fast your dog recovered
• Any other signs, like coughing, discharge, or tiredness

Film only when it is safe, and never delay care for a dog that is struggling. A video helps the vet but does not replace an exam.

These are the questions owners ask most when they are watching their dog snort and honk.

Worry when it gets longer, comes more often, or arrives with nasal discharge or bleeding, coughing, tiredness, or breathing changes between episodes. Go to an emergency vet for choking signs, open-mouth breathing, blue or gray gums, or collapse.

Choking, kennel cough, tracheal collapse, respiratory infection, distemper, and heart-related coughing can all look or sound similar. The comparison table above lists the clues, and your vet can sort it out with a history, an exam, and sometimes imaging.

Reverse sneezing is a nasal inhalation reflex, not a heart sign. A cough together with tiring easily, faster breathing, fainting, or blue gums could point to the heart, and that needs prompt veterinary care.

Excitement, leash pressure, fast eating or drinking, dust, pollen, smoke, and strong odors are common triggers. Infection can also be behind it, so fever, discharge, or poor appetite means a vet visit rather than waiting.

A brief, occasional episode in a dog that returns to normal is usually not dangerous. The risk is mistaking a choking or breathing emergency for a reverse sneeze, which is why blue or gray gums, collapse, or struggling to breathe mean you go to an emergency vet right away.

Ask your vet before giving Benadryl or any antihistamine. For soothing, gently stroke the neck and let the dog settle, and offer a lick or small sip only if the dog is alert and swallowing.

Most reverse sneezes pass in under a minute, and watching a calm dog snort and then trot off is much more common than a true emergency. Your next step depends on what you saw. If your dog stayed bright, kept its gums pink, and recovered fast, jot down the date and trigger. If episodes keep coming, book a visit with a local vet and bring your video. If your dog ever pants with an open mouth, turns blue or gray, collapses, or seems to be choking, go straight to an emergency vet. I can't diagnose your dog from here, and your vet can. When your dog's breathing worries you, make the call.

If your dog also sighs a lot, our post on why dogs sigh covers what is normal there.

• American Animal Hospital Association: AAHA
• American Veterinary Medical Association: AVMA
• ASPCA: ASPCA
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Cornell's veterinary college
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Merck Veterinary Manual
• PubMed Central: observational study of 30 dogs
• VCA Animal Hospitals: VCA Animal Hospitals