Have you noticed your Chihuahua wheezing? Many owners fear the worst upon hearing sounds of apparent respiratory distress. They assume their canine companions can’t breathe, so they rush them to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic.
While Chihuahuas can suffer from serious respiratory conditions, such as a collapsed trachea, wheezing episodes are typically harmless. Also known as “reverse sneezing,” it’s common in brachycephalic breeds. Chihuahuas can still breathe during these wheezing or reverse sneezing episodes, and they won’t experience any pain or lasting effects.
What Is Reverse Sneezing?
Reverse sneezing is the colloquial term used to describe episodes in which a Chihuahua or any other dog rapidly and convulsively inhales air through the nose. Some of these episodes last just seconds, whereas others may last for up to two minutes. Regardless, reverse sneezing involves the rapid and uncontrollable inhalation of air through the nose.
Sneezing, of course, involves the rapid and convulsive exhalation of air. Reverse sneezing is essentially the same but backward. Rather than exhaling air, Chihuahuas inhale air during reverse sneezing episodes.
Here’s what to expect during a typical reverse sneezing episode:
- The Chihuahua will stop what he’s doing and stand still.
- He will extend his neck out.
- He will begin to quickly inhale air through his nose.
- During these inhalations, the Chihuahua will make wheezing, snorting, hacking or goose-honking noises. His chest will also expand and contract.
- After the episode has passed, the Chihuahua’s behavior will return to normal.
In the veterinary industry, the clinical term used to describe these episodes is paroxysmal respiration. Paroxysmal means occurring periodically with short episodes, and respiration means the act of breathing. Whether it’s wheezing, reverse sneezing or paroxysmal respiration, though, they all refer to the same type of episodes.
What Causes Reverse Sneezing?
Reverse sneezing is believed to be caused by spasms of the soft palate. Not to be confused with the hard palate (see illustration below), the soft palate is a section of muscle tissue covered in a protective mucus membrane. In both dogs and humans, it’s used to block off the nasal passages when swallowing.
The soft palate consists of muscle tissue that, like other muscles in a Chihuahua’s body, can succumb to spasms. If the soft palate becomes irritated or inflamed, for instance, it may begin to spasm. These spasms can manifest in the form of reverse sneezing.
Reverse Sneezing Triggers
Reverse sneezing episodes may occur spontaneously and for no apparent reason. Other instances, however, may involve a trigger.
Anything that causes the soft palate to spasm is a potential trigger. Triggers may irritate, inflame or tickle the soft palate, resulting in a spasm.
Common triggers for reverse sneezing include:
- Dust, pollen or other airborne pollutants
- Nasal mites
- Excitement (e.g. running around in circles or playing with a toy)
- Household cleaning chemicals
- Smoke inhalation
- Pulling on a Chihuahua’s collar
- Allergies
- Foreign objects stuck in the throat
- Upper respiratory infections
- Eating or drinking too fast
- Blood-filled polyps in the throat
Why Reverse Sneezing Is So Common in Chihuahuas
Reverse sneezing can affect all breeds, but it’s particularly common in small dogs like Chihuahuas. A study of over 700 dogs found that Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas had the highest predisposition to reverse sneezing of all studied purebreds.
Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas are brachycephalic breeds, so they have smaller and shorter heads than non-brachycephalic breeds. Normally, a dog’s soft palate will remain isolated to the back of the mouth. In brachycephalic breeds, though, the soft palate may extend partially into the throat where it interferes with the trachea.
When a Chihuahua’s soft palate begins to spasm, his trachea may become partially obstructed. The convulsing muscle tissue at the roof of his mouth may occlude the flow of air into and out of the trachea. The Chihuahua should still be able to breathe, but he may not be able to fully inhale. The Chihuahua may then experience a reverse sneezing episode until the spasm has stopped and his trachea is no longer obstructed.
Let Your Veterinarian Know!
Reverse sneezing episodes will typically pass on their own. Because they can be mistaken for signs of a more severe respiratory condition known as a tracheal collapse, you should let your veterinarian know about these episodes. Licensed veterinarians know how to distinguish between reverse sneezing episodes and tracheal collapse.
You may even want to record your Chihuahua during an episode. Just pull out your smartphone and take create a short video of the episode. When visiting your veterinarian, you can show him or her the video. Along with performing an examination, your veterinarian may use this footage to determine if your Chihuahua is experiencing reverse sneezing episodes or a collapsed trachea.
Your veterinarian can also check your Chihuahua for underlying causes. Soft palate spasms may be caused by the triggers listed above. Nasal mites and upper respiratory infections, for instance, can cause the soft palate to spasm. During the visit, your veterinarian can rule out underlying causes such as these. Alternatively, if your veterinarian identifies a mite infestation or upper respiratory infection, he or she can treat it.
Treatment for Reverse Sneezing
In most cases, reverse sneezing doesn’t require treatment. Some Chihuahuas experience these episodes on a daily basis. As long as it’s true reverse sneezing and not a collapsed trachea, the episodes should pass. With that said, removing or managing the triggers can minimize the frequency of reverse sneezing episodes.
If your Chihuahua experiences reverse sneezing episodes when you tug on his collar, for instance, consider switching to a harness, instead. Collars focus the pulling force on the neck, whereas harnesses distribute the pulling force across the body. Using a harness to walk your Chihuahua will alleviate pressure on the neck so that he’s less likely to experience reverse sneezing episodes.
If you believe airborne pollutants are to blame for your Chihuahua’s reverse sneezing episodes, try to improve the air quality in your home. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Micro-sized pollutant particles may work their way into your Chihuahua’s mouth and throat where they cause his soft palate to spasm.
Improving the air quality in your home will result in lower levels of airborne pollutants. Changing the air filter in your home at least once a month will result in cleaner air. Vacuuming and dusting the floors will also result in cleaner air. Another tip is to decorate with houseplants. Houseplants aren’t used strictly for aesthetics; they can clean the surrounding air by absorbing pollutants and releasing fresh oxygen.
Your veterinarian may be able to treat the underlying causes of your Chihuahua’s reverse sneezing episodes. Upper respiratory infections can be treated with antibiotics or antivirals. Nasal mites can be treated with anti-parasitic medication like ivermectin. Throat polyps can be treated with surgery.
How to Stop Your Chihuahua’s Reverse Sneezing Episodes
Most reverse sneezing episodes will stop once your Chihuahua’s soft palate spasm has ended. However, you may be able to shorten the duration of these episodes.
While there’s no foolproof way to stop all reverse sneezing episodes, some owners have reported success using the following methods:
- Gently rub your Chihuahua’s throat.
- Place your thumb and index fingers directly over your Chihuahua’s nostrils.
- Gently blow air in your Chihuahua’s face.
- Speak softly to your Chihuahua to try and calm him down.
- Run your hand under some cold water and place it against your Chihuahua’s lips.
Most of these methods work by encouraging the Chihuahua to swallow. If there’s something stuck in the Chihuahua’s throat, it may irritate his soft palate and cause a spasm. Swallowing should clear the Chihuahua’s throat.
Video of a Chihuahua Reverse Sneezing
This video shows a Chihuahua experiencing a reverse sneezing episode. The Chihuahua stops in his track and begins to wheeze. It sounds like the Chihuahua is gasping for air, but thankfully he’s experiencing a typical reverse sneezing episode.
In Conclusion
Wheezing or reverse sneezing is more frightening for owners than for Chihuahuas. It involves spasms of the soft palate at the back of the mouth. When Chihuahuas experience a reverse sneezing episode, they’ll rapidly wheeze while inhaling air through their nose.
References:
https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/gesundheit-reverse-sneezing-in-dogs/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_sneezing
Does your Chihuahua experience have wheezing or reverse sneezing episodes? Share your story with our community of fellow Chihuahua owners and enthusiasts in the comments section below!
My chihuahua is 9 years old and chronically coughs all the time, but she does not cough while she is sleeping. Should I be worried, she has had chronic coughing spells for the last 4-5 months now. I don’t know what to do, I’m on social security and can’t afford an expensive vet bill. Help
My chichahua has been doing the same thing. I took him to the vet and
they took a chest x-ray. The x-ray shows he has fluid around his heart and the put him on Lasix/Furosemide 12.5 mg twice a day. He was also given an injection of Lasix to get him some relief quicker.
Mine has the same thing Jill. And on lasix 1ml 2xdaily…i hate the thought of losing him so im hoping the lasix helps
took Chihuahua twice already to vet and they have done xrays and ive paid a lot of money so far but they keep telling me only a cardiologist for animal can tell what is going on with heart they only see the murmur I cant afford cardiologist in meantime my dog is breathing hard and hacking
Have you investigated vet pay ?
You can pay it off…ring around , you might be suprised
Yes they can. My vet took an X-ray of my dog and found an enlarged heart. You don’t need a Cardi if your vet can take X-rays …
My dog is 11 /77 years old big chihuahua, i took her to two vets and one said she had water around her heart and the other said no she doesn’t, Any way i looked it up on the computer and the vet showed on his show a dog that has the cough and acted like he was going to throw up like mine does, It could be two things Kennel cough (not because he went to Kennel) but that’s the name , or has heart worms .. Just letting you know oh and mine honks all the time when excited too!
When this happens just gently place 2 fingers over her nostrils and comfort her at the same time. That should help subside the attack in a few seconds. Don’t worry it’s very common with the Chihuahua breed. She’ll be fine. The first time it happened with our Chihuahua I freaked out, but with a little education and some practice everything was fine.
My dog does the same thing. It has been going on for about 4 days this time. I have tried giving breathing treatments, tiny pieces of cough drops,and benadryl but nothing seems to help. Any suggestions?
if you don’t have any other dogs, it could be kennel cough which can be treated with some mild antibiotics. I say this because if you have other dogs, the other dogs would be coughing as well because kennel cough is contagious.
I have a 14 year old Chihuahua. Could someone tell me a good dog food for Chihuahua. She is a very picky eater. My ex has always feed her special kitty cat food.
my fussy eater eats natures menu – steamed raw dog food topped with boiled chicken or fillet roasted (plain) and top it onto above or a quality kibble
How do u steam raw dog food?
Royal canine chihuahua
Royal canin for chihuahua or iams small breed in the green bag
Your dog should not eat cat food. Special cat food or not. Cat food isn’t the same as dog food. Cat food doesn’t have the same ingredients that dog food does to nurture and keep your dog healthy. Actually some cat foods may have things in it that are unhealthy for your dog. And vice versa. It just is not the same. Please do your research before giving your dog other foods (especially a chihuahua !) that doesn’t belong to dogs. It says Cat food for a reason!
I just replied him and said pretty much the same thing! Have never heard of anyone giving dogs cat food or vice versa. I’m in shock, like there are some vitamins that are good for the dogs that are poisonous to cats and vice versa. Thought everyone knew that. Wow!
We have raised 6 Golden Retrievers on cat food (dry) It has much more nutrition than dog food which is why some homeless will eat cat food over dog food. The dogs had beautiful coats and all lived well over 10-15 years. However, a small dog seems to get fat on cat food so our Chiuahah gets the small dog food.
My chihuahua will ONLY eat cat food. I’ve tried nearly 15 different types of dog food, and she absolutely will not touch any of them. I was at my wit’s end with what to feed her until we got two kittens and she started stealing their dry food. I have no choice but to feed her dry food because I can’t afford that expensive wet food. We can barely eat ourselves sometimes. Everyone is on here talking about these crazy expensive dog foods and I’m like, “Who the heck can afford that?” I don’t make six figures anymore. (I did when I first got my chi, but she wouldn’t eat the expensive stuff I bought, either.)
My chi is beyond fussy. Maybe try to mix a little bit of dog kibble I. With the kitty kibble? Then slowly add more until you reach hopefully all dog food! Or at least see that you can at least get some dog food in there! Also maybe cook some chicken or beef (plain no onions or garlic especially! No salt or pepper either. Just plain!) and chop it super small and maybe even mix with some white rice. If he eats that no problem then again see if you can add a little doggie kibble into it. And luckily there are a tonne of dog treats with vitamins in them. Soft chewy milkbone with vitamins at the dollarstore even!
I know they can be expensive, so search online for dog food coupons! And remember even if you buy one really good bag (royal canin chihuahua food is great) and mix that in with a regular kibble that way they are getting the good food and you can really stretch it out 💖
Cat food has a much higher concentration of protein in it which might be why ur Chihuahua probably likes it more!! So maybe try looking for dog food with a higher protein concentration? But like everyone else said, giving your dog cat food is really bad! One of the reasons they dont eat the same food is because cats require more protein and they also add a specific chemical into cat food that cats need! (This is why cats can’t eat dog food because it lacks the chemical they need in their diet) so feeding ur chiahua cat food long term is really bad! (Google why can’t u feed dogs cat food and vice versa) there are a lot of differences in the food even though they look/smell similar!
My chihuahua is very picky as well i even took her to the vet thinking something was wrong but the vet told me just to hold out on the food that she liked which is not good for her and that she would eventually start eating the dog food that is exactly what she did I find a great dog food at Walmart for $8 that has lamb in it and that is what she seems to like is the dog food the small dog food with lamb in it i haven’t had any problems with her eating. Since
My furbaby is 12 years old and healthy and eats cat food. When he was little that is all he would eat. I bought every kind of dog food and he would not touch it. But he now eats dog food but he will go in the laundry room and eat the cats food when she is not in there.
I have an 18 going to be 19 year old applehead Chihuahua. She would never eat dog food she always stole from the cat. No matter what dog food I tried she wouldn’t eat it so I started feeding her cooked chicken and 95% lean hamburger. She has eight this her whole life and she still snacks on cat food. And as I said she’s going to be 19 years old
So true Angela, the baby is not getting the correct Nourishment he or she needs. A vet told me that. My bebe is 16 and has a cataract in one eye also losing her hearing. She also has that coughing, sneezing and gagging. I love my bebe she’s been with me 15yrs
Hey, noooo never give a dog cat food. There are some vitamins in cat food that are poisonous to dogs. The best dog food for chihuahuas is Royal Canine. They have ones for Junior, Adult and Mature so get the one that’s for mature dogs since you’re dogs older. They’re packed with great vitamins for them and chihuahuas love the taste.
OREJEN dog food is by far the best and keeps your Chi in wonderful condition. It is expensive but they only need a small amount so it last alot longer and has no horrible additives
My Chihuahua read very picky but she seems to love the soft lamb food in Aldis
I started using small breed wellness and natures promise organic at stop n shop
I use the farmstand from shop rite my ten years old chi loves it. Its about a dollar fifty a can. I live in CT so I have stop and shop
Cat food is not good for dogs. Our Chihuahua is the same way. It seemed that she wouldn’t eat any type of dog food no matter what it was. Kibble, dry, wet, crunchy, soft, chunky, it didn’t matter. So we took her to a veterinarian animal nutritionist. He told us to put her on a boiled chicken, rice, and pea diet. If she takes to that? Then you can slowly introduce FINELY minced beef w/fat into their diet. The fat is actually crucial to their diet so just giving them boiled chicken for too long can result in protein shock. The fat apparently help them absorb the proteins. Giving them the boiled chicken first is just a method of getting them to eat something that is easy on their stomachs. Good luck.
Fellow Chihuahua lover.
Try grain free Fromm, its good for ur Chihuahua
We had a dog that used to regularly steal the cats food – she died from it in the end DO NOT FEED IT TO THEM
Thank you for this information. My dog freaks me out when she does this. It’s good to know it’s not serious. We are having a bad time with the allergies here lately and I think it’s made it a little worse. Thank you!
Mine has had a runny nose, blowing bubbles from her nose, shaking her head trying to sneeze. Then can’t breath out of her nose. They want to do endoscope and soft palate scope to see if there is something blocking her airway. Also say it’s going to cost 3500.00 she’s 4lbs. I can’t afford that.
My 2 year old Chi has a episode of this on occasion, but since the new dog next door moved in and he had been barking big time…. the last 3 days he has had episodes off and on of reverse sneezing! Thankfully i found this information, I think its triggered by his barking at the new dog neighbor? It freaks me out when he does this, it’s good to know it’s common. My 7 year old chi has never done this so I was freaked out the first time my youngest one did this.
Thank you for the advice about rubbing the neck! This has been an ongoing occurrence since I adopted my chihuahua. The wheezing sounds like pig grunts..the scary part is seeing her abdomen constricting, as if she’s suffocating. I looked it up but never saw a way to help her through the episode, so thank you! The wheezing usually lasts anywhere from 15-30 secs. I just hold her to calm her…now I’ll be doing the neck rub too.
Hope your 🐶 is doing better.
My little one macey is doing a lot better.
The hacking is now occasional.
However the stamoch spasms are only at night. I keep a eye on her until she falls asleep. We will have some X-rays in a few days just make sure her trachea there is no severe damage.
Per her vet only soft foods will be best, and shorter walks to reduce rapid breathing.
Best wishes and please hang in there with you little bud of joy😊
Sometimes, mine wakes up in the night doing it, been going on for years, its getting more frequent and the night wakes are scarry when they wake me too. I used to pile the attention on then realized he was also faking it too for attention lol their. Is a difference lol nip that in the bud…. remember they can be stinkers… but love when needed always helps……..
Hi there,
My Chi has a collapsed Trachea. It’s so frightening now because she always coughs. Vet told us to lift her water bowl and this actually helps. Has anyone else having this problem? I am looking into having an operation to have a stent put in.
The Vet told me my Chi has a collapsed Trachea. He said it’s very common for small breeds because their treachea does not connect to make a circle, therefore it collapses very easily. He has several Yorkies that have this problem so he is very familiar with it. He said that a friend and the best veterinary surgeon he knows told him that the surgery does very little to help.
Thank you so much my Chihuahua is almost 13 and she started doing this at 6 am this morning. I held her and cried not knowing how to comfort her, it comes and goes at least now I know it’s a Chihuahua thing.
Hello Amanda,
My dog 🐶 macey 6 years old, started late April periodically with white foam. (Mucous buildup) she would hacked and cough up.
I had her vet checkup and they said it’s usually triggered by something..,pollen in my case, also excitement or when Defending against other 🐶
I have learnt to manage what trips it and i’ve thought her how to take a breath this teaches her to slow down and breathe at a normal rate. Additionally, after her walk and taking the stairs She starts up the sneezing or hacking sounds, and I will use a warm washcloth held on her throat with a little pressure. She’s very appreciate and the spasms to sneeze will cease.
I also put coconut oil in her food this seems to help to soothe her throats when hacking, I’ve made sure she stays on a fresh base diet to eliminate any build mucous which is the white foamy stuff backup up due to reverse sneezing.
Also my vet says to try Benadryl, this also works well to previous excessive sneezes to allergens around.
My dog is doing great and now on occasion the sneezing is normal vs. reverse which is here and there.
Breathing Patterns especially when resting are free of spasms.
With basic care it all seems manageable. Best wishes for your furry friends.
Can you tell me how much benadryl for a 8lb. Chi?
Benadryl dose is 1 mg per pound
One fourth of an adult pill
Thank you so much for this advice. I rescued my chi-chi 2 years ago. He has always grunted when excited but over the past two weeks he’s had 2 episodes of what I thankfully discovered from here is reverse sneezing. Even my other 3 dogs were conscerned with him. It scared me so much. I tried water, fresh air but did the rubbing on neck which calmed him down. I’m really greatful for everybodies knowledge on here too since prince is the first chi-chi I’ve ever owned was scared he was dying. Xxxx 🐶🐾🐾🐾🐾
Thank you for The advice it Really bothers me and even hurts me to know my Dog is suffering! Good to know next time I’ll rub her neck.
1/2 tablet of benadryl 2 or 3 x a day
I never had a dog always cats.but someone gave me a chihuahua name Mia I love her so much but the first time I heard her doing that it scared me but I notice she only do it when I get home from work on when she’s very happy I guess I was doing the right thing byju’s trying to comfort her and talking to her and tell her it’s okay. Thank God for internet.and you guys.🐶🐾🐾
It was crazy. They brought her back and then suggested blood work and xrays. 500 plus dollars. But they want us to dose her with trazadone so they can do their work on her. First off feeding her sedative is not something I want to do. They gave her a rabies shot why not give it to her with needle. Now I know it’s reverse sneezing and the vet knee as well. So why risk my dogs life over a few hundred dollars. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. By the way a couple xmas eve’s ago I lost my Italian greyhound/best friend Diesel after they looked at him and said he had Cancer. Same Vet.
Our boy has only done this 2x as of 430 this am. He’s almost 12yo and medically healthy other than has bladder stones 2x. He is so quiet 100% of the time. We rescued him from someone who raised him with cats, probably why he’s do quiet. Anytime we have people over or serice techs they have no clue he’s on my love seat and in his blankets. But this scared me. Thank you for sharing this post and the video. Last time my husband had heard him doing this.
Mine is not doing that is it more like a with whimper than whezzing but is is like it can’t breath.
Mine 2 im scared she does it when she lays down and cant sleep. Help
I have a Shih Tzu named Abigail. She is ten years old. When she starts back sneezing, I blow through her nose. It seems to help very quick. I love my dog. Jerry Hayes.
My Chiwawa stops the reverse sneeze when I put one finger over one nostril. It works every time. She barley has any episodes anymore. She is one year old.
I actually thought about doing that. I’ll have to try it. Since it worked for you!!
Thank you so much for your post. I have rescued a four year old tiny Chihuahua. And recently she’s been hacking and coughing. I was scared sick. This post helped me a lot.
Thank you for this article this happens to my Penelope every time after she eats or when she’s super excited after I come home. She’s only 10 lbs i feel really bad because i fell like there is nothing that I can do for her.
My mom’s pup always coughs. I’ve just noticed with my puppy (his son) he has started to cough too. Of course it worried me to no end! That’s my baby!!:( but with Boomer (the dad) when he starts coughing I just shh him & scratch his little chest to calm him with Hades (my puppy) it’s so new to him im so scared. I’m glad this is recurring with other chiuahuas. It’s scary but almost natural. Don’t get stressed just calm your pup it will pass it’s just reoccurring which is terrifying but they are fine just something to get used too….
My chi takes the cherry flavored liquid benadryl for children for this because it is allergies. There is another condition that can be more serious than this and an untrained ear might not be able to tell the difference. In this video you can hear that this is more of a nasal sound. A collapsed trachea can sound almost similar. Get your dog to lick you. A gentle stroaking down the front of the neck to get them to swallow can also help. I find the licking helps best. Make sure to ask your vet which problem your chi has. One of my dogs had to be on a liquid bronchodialator several times a day because her trachea collapsed so frequently.
My female chihuahua started doing this noise when she was excited but now she does the reversed sneezing at night as she sleeps under my duvet. At first I though she was hot but it’s a normal thing this type of dog does. It’s a very scary noise to hear but just let them know your there and it will pass.
I have two Chihuahua’s. When this situation occurs. I put butter on my finger and have them eat it. Seems to solve the problem immediately. Don’t know why. But, It Works !! Every time !!
I had a Pekinese/Chihuahua mix that did this on occasion,however, one day I noticed something wasn’t right.I told my wife that Dolly wasn’t right and I couldn’t explain.She was only about 6 yrs old in good health and brought to the vet on a regular basis. I had a weird feeling that she was going to die. I had no reason to think that but several hours later she started honking and and dropped down as if she was dead. I am an EMT and proceeded to give her CPR. Thank God,she came back to life.I took her to the vet and spent well over a thousand dollars on tests. I was told not to be concerned and if it happens again to let her be, it was only reverse sneezing and she would snap out of it. How many of you would be able to wait for your loved one to snap out of it?I brought her to another vet and was given phenobarbital for seizures. I gave them to her as directed but for the next eight years of her life it happened 3 more times. I gave her CPR each time and she was okay. She passed away at 14 from cancer and kidney disease.She gave me happiness throughout her years and is now and always will be in my heart. Love em as much as you can as they do you. Thanks for listening.
Dear George
I could feel the love you had for your Dolly. So very sorry for your loss. Dolly will always be with you she lives in your heart.
Bridget
George,
I am so glad that Dolly had you to help her live those 14 fun filled years!
Greg
Out baby girl does this daily she is now 5months we notice it as soon as she has a drink, it doesn’t look comfortable at all. Thanks for sharing your story. 🙏
Reverse sneezing is actually curable. It is caused from an elongated soft pallet, usually seen in small breed dogs and brachycephalic breeds (short-snouted dogs). To say it is not curable is wrong.
Airway surgery will cure it and will also stop the dog from having irreversible damage and everted saccules. Not only that the dog will be able to breathe properly, which is conducive with life.
People, if your dog is reverse sneezing.. Go and see your vet. It CAN be cured! I know this as I’m a vet nurse and have seen the procedure done hundreds of times with success. My Brussels griffon has his done….No more reverse sneezing!
George, what you had to say was very informative. You put my mind to rest. I have many sleepless nights over this condition!
Don’t worry. You’ll see your little dog in Heaven one day.
I’m so sorry to hear of your pups passing. Ours has only made this sound 2x in the 9 years we’ve owned him. I just woke up and came out to where he sleeps and heard him. He came running to me and it stopped. As soon as I put him down it started again. It scares me because he’s the quietest chihuahua you’d ever meet. When we have people come over or service techs for something they have no clue he’s on his blanket on our loveseat. They are the best dogs. We rescued him from someone who raised him with cats, hence why he’s so quiet.
Again, I am so so sorry for your loss of your fur baby.
Wow .. so amazing to read. She’s lucky she had you for her owner. 🙏🏼
I’m sorry– I meant HE. :/
Both of my 13 year old Chihuahuas do this also. They just started doing this about 8 months ago. I too got very worried and after paying our vet $543.00 they could not figure out what was going on. I wish I would of known about this earlier I would of asked my vet about and possible save my little guys from going through all those tests. Lesson learn. So really…Why don’t vets tell us this things? Even after testing why don’t they say something. They already have my money. Anyway, glad to know this.
Omg I thank you so much for this info.
Wow! My instincts were right on. When my chihuahuas do this I would rub and massage their neck or hold their nostril closed for a couple of seconds and it always works. It’s good to know I was doing the right thing. I love my Skipper and Pinky and would do anything to help them. Thanks for this article!
When have had our Chihuahua for 10+ years, she never did the hacking noise until she was 9. For several years, she’s hacked daily. Now it’s intensified to several times an hour! There’s been no discernible cause the vet identified, but do know that your dog is fine and will not die! There’s no emergency visit needed. Tink is doing it right now as I write this. It’s true she does rest more and doesn’t exercise much. And she doesn’t hack as much when sleeping or resting.
I cannot thank you enough. This has happened to my chichi a lot and I’ve rushed her to the vet and of course, by the time we get there she is alright. A friend told me to look you up and what a relief, the vet never explained this is something that happens to chihuahuas and I would panick but, thanks to you, I’m able to get her breathing normally. Once again, thank you so very much!
I have a 3 year chihuahua name coco and she has that cough and wheezing sound at first when I heard I was scared now that I know what it is she’s doing a lot better
My chichuahua woke me up in the middle of the night gasping for air n coughing. Sound like he has a hairball. I immediately picked him up to see if something was stuck in his throat. This went on for like 5 minutes. I googled what it could be , maybe he might need a Dr, he just wanted me to hold him during this time. I started rubbing his neck , wet his nose and held him until he stopped. After about 5 minutes of this, he just went back to bed and has been OK since. Note I notice he does this behavior after he comes from the backyard or he’s ate too fast. Theses episodes last about 5 minutes each time.
My little 4-year-old Chi did this all night and it’s a symptom of something more serious than this article leads me to believe. I came home from work at 5:30pm. It is now 12:15am and he’s still at it. The spells seem to subside when he’s at rest and remains idle. But when he’s running around or playing with my other Chi, the intense spells resume. You can’t tell me this kind of wheezing, heavy breathing, and reverse sneezing is normal for almost 7 hours. It certainly can’t be good for his breathing and heart. It’s a terrifying sight to see and I’m taking him to the vet tomorrow. The humidity has been extremely high in the past several weeks, so I’m not ruling out that factor. It’s affecting *MY* breathing as well.
Hello Todd,
My wee Chihuahua, age 14y 5 mnths has coughed over the years but NOTHING compared to the latest, more like a HONKING….Took him to my vet, chest x-ray and blood work and REVEALED….fluid around the heart, slight heart murmur, grade 1 murmur and yes age related. The vet prescribed a DIURETIC to REMOVE the fluid around the heart and a DILATOR to open the veins around the neck. So far so good !!! 2 doses of the diuretic and allllll quiet, not one hack or honk.
My wee man is everything to me, and now that I know what the issue is…. to be expected with age. From now onwards… Everyday is Precious.
To all chi owners…. Love today like there is no tomorrow… XXXXX for all chis.
How is your chichi doing? Mine is going thru an episode but, this being going on for about 3 hours. Taking her to the vet early in the morning
Todd, I am really interested in knowing what your vet said.
My chihuahua started doing this just recently and she’s pregnant can her pregnancy have anything to do with this? She is also alil over weight
Thank God for this article. I found it at 2am as my Chi was going through an episode. I just adopted her, she has been with us for 6 weeks so we are new parents with very little experience.
Thank you so much for this article! I just adopted a 5 year old rescue chihuahua and he didn’t do this the first day, but now does it a few times per day. I was worried I would have some expensive vet bills coming my way because the woman at the rescue said he had just gotten over a respiratory infection and I didn’t know if it was coming back. He had a clean bill of health from a recent vet visit though. I noticed he does the reverse sneezing when he’s excited or when I have to give him a little tug on his collar to get him to move during potty breaks (I have a harness coming in the mail). I also think he might be allergic to grass or pollen because he always sneezes when I bring him outside. Anyway, so glad I found this article, thanks again!
My 4 Month Old Chihuahua Puppy Started Doing This About 2 1/2 Weeks Ago I Desperately Thought That He Was Ill I’m So Thankful I Found This Video.
Iam glad i found this article this is exactly what my chihuahua does. It worried me.now i know its just a common thing in this breed at least i know its not something i need to run to the vet for.
My 10 month old chiweenie all of a sudden about 2 months ago started doing this “reverse sneezing” and it scares me to death. But I was thinking the worst.( heart failure or heartworms)! I also have a 3 year old female chiweenie and have had her since 8 weeks and she has never experienced these symptoms. My question is, I’m almost for certain my baby boy deisel is doing this because of the soft palate on the roof of his mouth. What can I do for my little man? Or is there anything I can do? My dogs are my furry kids and even though it’s not serious, I’m almost certain I still don’t like to see him go through this.
Every small dog I’ve ever owned has done the reverse sneezing. Shelties, Bichon x Maltese, Papillon x Maltese, and now a rescue Papillon mix. It’s almost always outside. Right now, the Papillon mixes are both doing it a lot. I think it has to do with the high pollen count in Maryland this time of year. It’s a shame because the weather is perfect for walking and hiking and I hate to keep them inside so much. Oh, and some of these dogs have had kennel cough vaccines, some have not. We never kennel them, but our therapy pet organization required it.
i know she is not a chiwahwa but she is a pitbull yellow lab mix and as sweet as can be she has been doing ths 2 minets ago and i am so scard to loose her i dont know what to do!
My dog has a wheezing and gaging problem she is 7 years old and she gags in her sleep.
Hi my chihauhua is weezing like this it started yesterday when i got home at about 5 in the avternoon and i thought it was normal over exitement but it didnt stop and still hasnt stopped now and when se breathes theirs this high pitch sound as if she has some sort of a sinus problem please help me with advice we dont have money for a vet and i really want my baby to get better shes only 5 years old and she looks really deppressed
Thank you SO much for this!! I was ready to rush to the vet. I feel much better now. 🙂
My dog just got his rabies shot they had him there for couple hours is there any way tat shot old cause =him to cough abs reverse sneeze
My tiny 5 lb poodle is 1 year old and she started the reverse sneezing at a few months old. She has never had bordatella shot or nasal med. It is definitely triggered by several things…..excitement being #1 and #2 is a variety of things…sprays of any type..hair spray….air freshener…perfume, etc. #3 is powders like baby powder, etc. Seems as if anything she inhaled starts a bout of reverse sneezing. I videoed her during a session & showed my vet. He said it is nothing to worry about, just try to avoid obvious triggers. I find that covering her nostril for a few seconds shortens the length of the sneezing. It is not a nice sound & she looks distressed when she does it, but it’s something I have to live with. Beware that you don’t confuse reverse sneezing with collapsing trachea. They have similar symptoms. Small dogs have small teachers and as they age they are prone to collapsing trachea which is dangerous. There is medication available for that. It warrants a trip to the vet asap.
My little Teddy is 17 weeks old now. I have had him for a week and in the week he has had about 5 of these?! Twice in one day! I am really confused as some people state it is ok and nothing to worry about and then I read of 2 where the dogs passed away due to it?! My dog does what the dog in the video does but I know it scares him cause he looks at me to comfort him though it and then after it he tends to just rest on my lap, like now, he is fast asleep on my lap after doing it 🙁
Oh and his previous owner who had him from 9 – 16 weeks said he had all injections and kennel cough which I checked with the vets she had him under and he has had it all including kennel cough… I just hope it’s nothing more serious? X
I have a 7 month old, short haired chihuahua. This is the second maybe third time she had this episode. The last time however was vary scary, we were sleeping and she just woke up at 3 in the morning having an episode which really freaked me out as any owner can imagine. I’m a little releaved to see its normal in Chihuahua dogs however, when do you know something really isn’t right and you should take your chi to a vets? Also my baby seems to be way too young to be having these, I see everyone state in their comments that their Chi’s are at least a year old if not more. It worries me so much!!! 😐
i found the best way to stop this is it simply cover there snout with your hand and get them to swallow it stops it almost instantly.
My little Sugar, a 2yr old chihuahua has these wheezing attacks fairly often, but after pulling on her leash today, she coughs till she throws up everything she tries to eat. I almost went to the emergency vet, then decided to check online. I’m very worried… help?
My chichi Hannah just had an episode in the middle of the night. Woke me up out of my sleep. She did just have the botedella vaccine but she had this problem before the vaccine. The vet said it was normal across small breeds. She wasn’t excited because we were sleep. In my case it’s probably the febreeze i sprayed before i went to bed. I gave her water and massage her chest. Also she’s a teacup. So i swaddled her with a tee shirt and she is resting fine in my arms. I do believe her attach was intensified because i wasn’t massaging her. Everytime she had an episode that’s what i do. Hope this helps someone.
My 11 year old Chihuahua Started doing the hacking thing a few months ago. I took her to the vet and requested xrays bc I was really worried. She had an infection and liquid in both lungs. She was put on antibiotics and given a nasal spray that doesn’t work right (can’t get nasal spray into a tough little dog’s nose) the liquid went away and she acts fine in every way but her hacking has gotten worse. We are afraid to pick her up as it starts the hacking. The vet said I could also give her benadryl but I don’t know how much to give her as she weighs 15 pounds. I was also wondering if she might have an allergy to her kibble, I feed her Canidae dry kibble. Any ideas on this?
I have a long haired chihuahua who cant stop coughing at all. I’ve taken him to the vet but they just gave me medicine which doesn’t do anything. He’s quite at times but the episodes start again right away. He is very old maybe about 11-13 years of age I’m not exactly sure for he originally was my friends dog but she left him with me because the apartment shes living in doesn’t accept dogs. Please help. Is it because he is getting old or what seems to be the problem?
My vet told me that coughing could be related to heart problems, or a heart murmur. The doctor recommended fish oil, they make a kind for doggies, I believe it is called Wellactin. I would ask your vet about that. Also, if he does have a heart murmur, further medication might help.
I also have a 13-yr old long haired chi with same problem. goes on forever. benedryl does nothing to help. If you get an answer from a Vet or someone with knowledge, please share. thank you.
You can do what my mom did with her 13 year old chihuahua who has that problem, she had them do a X-ray which shows the the heart, lungs, found out she was in heart failure.
I have 3 chihuahua mixes, and have fostered an additional 2. The smaller ones tend to have this reverse sneezing fits, usually when they are excited or when they get anxious.
I discovered over time that the best thing to do for them was to settle them down and simultaneously massage their trachea. The key is to help slow down their breaths by barely touching the sides of their throat, doing slow downward strokes (in rhythm with their normal – exhaling breaths). This puts focus on when they can relax and exhale simultaneously.
My little skinny chi-terrier is always the worst; I always have to put my face near his and remind him “it’s okay, relax, mommy’s here. It’s ok,” while simultaneously massaging his trachea. He usually takes normal breaths once he’s able to shut out the rest of his surroundings. I know it’s scary to see them with these fits. Vets will tend you it’s normal. But if you’re like me, you don’t want to see your pups struggling to breathe. Please try this method on your pup when it reverse sneezes. It made a world of difference with my little ones!
This was so helpful. I was been worried for a while until I read this
My 7 year old otherwise very healthy chihuahua has these episodes but only last a minute or so and is usually when my 2 yr old going on 16 granddaughter wants to help walk him. But that is not the scary part. The scary part is the seizures he has any where from 1 a month to 3 or in one day he just cries right before it starts. Towards the end he gets sick. I was told to take him off table food and did. I was also told to give him sports drinks but doesn’t care for them,any other suggestions on what to do to make them stop quicker or not happen at all?
My dog had a similar problems of constant coffins that would start every 3-10 minuets and after taking him to the vet he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, after putting him on meds he stopped coffing other than the occasional fit from drinking to fast
My dog is 14 years old and a pure bred chihuahua.
When you see you dog looking lethargic or if a seizure is coming on have a syringe filled with syrup and give him 1/2 teaspoon if 10 lbs or less or 1 teaspoon if larger and the seizures will stop within 1-2 minutes! This works and I told my neighbor which their dogs seizure was lasting up to an hour and their dog now very seldom has seizures. If it looks like one may be coming on, do this ahead of time and it will cease to happen.
My chiweenie is 17 and lost her twin last year at Christmas. Living close to Mexico I found the folklore suggests chi’s get ashtma as they age. My one yr. old had ashtma,already. My sons’ got better reaching puberty and my 2 chi’s only got worse. Its natural to the breed,but,I hold my girls on their h
little hind legs w/their back to my belly and gently stroke her throat holding her arms spread open{opens the lungs)till she relaxs and breathes normal.
fyi the old ladies in Mexico advise new mothers to get their child w/asthma to get a chi for the child and it will take their asthma away. Relax and try my theory
Manny my lil baby just did that she usually does but today we have her de wormer and she did it for ten minutes I’m so scared please send me the site your talking about.
my Chihuahua got the nose stuff,she does that gasping sound too
My Chihuahua is 15 years old and I have noticed for about 2 years him drinking what was to me excessive water, took him to the vet to be checked for maybe being diabetic? Test were normal levels, still drinks lots of water and now I have noticed in the past year he wheezes everyday and I notice when he lies down resting more than any other time but if you hold him you can feel this wheezing rattle in his chest? I have noticed he can’t jump on our chairs as he gets older so uses doggie steps, and I have noticed a significant decrease in exercise & lot’s more sleep & wheezing ? I have had him since he was about 4 weeks old and I am terrified of losing my buddy! I was thinking maybe he might have some fluid around his heart but he is not swollen anywhere? I hate to give my vet $200 for him to tell me he is getting old and to expect these things !!!!
My dog is 12 and started doing the same thing. Sleeping more and wheezing. Did you ever figure it out? Is it just old age? I am terrified as well of knowing my dog is slowing down. Any advice?
I am 100% convinced it was the nasal bordetella vaccine. I have a chihuahua that has been “reverse sneezing ” ever since he got that stupid vaccine. He got it done about three four years ago and Ive tried antihistamines but they never really worked and made him drowsy. This is a warning to all owners of tiny dogs please think twice before giving your dog the nasal bordetella vaccine!
we just noticed our dog hacking and wheezing recently. He also just got the nasal bordetella vaccine about a 1.5 months ago (required for boarding him). Not sure if it’s a coincidence.
He recently came back from a 2 week stay at my sister’s with their dog, which is the longest he’s been with them…not sure if being with their dog so long may have caused it? (or the leaving and then returning?)
Someone dropped a Chihuahua off at my work and I’m fostering him until I can find his forever home. I had to get all his shots and he had to get the bordatella shot so he can be neutered. Before he had that nose spray he never did the reverse sneeze. Now he is constantly doing it. I wish I would’ve seen this before he got that shot.
Agree with you 100%. My long hair chihuahua received her first nasal Bordetella 2 weeks ago . Ever since then she has been reverse sneezing and gasping. I am so obey the vet that did this to her. Since she was little, she occasionally had a gasp here and there, but since the Bordetella, it’s several times every day! She is suppose to go back in a week to get the booster Bordetella, but not a chance in hell would I do that. 😖😡
Ernestina Acejo
Yes my 5 year old overweight short haired Chihuahua was perfectly healthy before she had her 1st ever vaccinations including the 7 in 1 shot and bordella nasal drops. Since then she’s had severe bouts of reverse sneezing or collapsed trachea in not sure which of these she suffers from since the signs and symptoms are very similar to each other but it scares the living he’ll out of me everytime she has an attack! It’s also scares her so during a breathing attack is what I call it or an episode she looks and sounds like she’s choking on something or something is lodged in her throat and she trying to hack it up her mouth closes she struggles to breath from her throat and nostrils both her chest heaves heavily in and out her head points down and she has a panic attack and its lasts anywhere from 20 seconds to less than a minute each time it happens while she’s having an attack she looks so sad and scared she looks me right in my face like she’s depending on me to make it stop. So sometimes I pick her up slowly while I speak very slowly and softly to her staring her right in her face while at the same time in gently rubbing her throat and neck in a gentle soothing circular as well as up and down strokes over and over telling her calmly it’s ok sweety it’s ok baby just breath calm down slow down baby it’s ok its ok mommies here with you mommies here you’re ok I promise mommies not going to let anything bad happen to you I promise you’re ok… All the while I’m gently massaging her throat and neck until she starts breathing again and her episode is over. Other times I don’t pick her up I’ll leave her on the ground and I’ll either bend down or lay down on the ground rite in front of or right next to her and do the same thing I gently rub and massage her throat and neck in up and down and in circular strokes over and over while I look her in her eyes and softly and calmly talk to her telling her she’s ok everything’s gunna be ok reassuring her that mommies here mommies helping her and never going to leave her or let anything bad happen to her promising her in a soft soothing low voice while massaging her throat and neck at the same time im reassuring her with my voice until it stops and she can breath on her own again. And I do both of those things during every single episode or breathing attack shes ever had since the first one she’s ever had right after getting the bordella nasal drop vaccine. I never leave her side except to take a shower once a day otherwise I’m with her 24/7 and she’s now on a strict diet she only eats healthy science diet light dog food for small breed dogs and only eats 1/4 cup twice a day and absolutely no table food whatsoever so she can lose all the extra weight the normal healthy weight for a Chihuahua her size in 3-4 pounds but she actually weighs 15 pounds so this could be a huge factor if she’s suffering from a collapsed trachea but if she has reverse sneezing it could also be a huge factor but it could also be due to a bad side affect from giving her the bordella nasal drops vaccine. I wish I never wouldve let them give her that stupid unnecessary vaccine. She was perfectly healthy before she received that! So how can I find out if she has reverse sneezing or a collapsed trachea? Please help me help my beautiful innocent precious baby! She’s my whole life I love her like I love my beautiful precious children i would just die if something happened to her and I lose her! Please help me I’ve already taken her to her primary vet and to the emergency pet hospital 3 times in the last 2 weeks because of this and spent $2000 in vet bills and medical costs for xrays and blood work and antibiotics etc…but she still has frequent episodes of breathing attacks sounding and looking just like the dogs in all the videos during a reverse sneezing or breathing attack episode as I call them.
My Chihuahua was very healthy until I took him for his shots about 5 months old and they gave him the kennel cough liquid shot it up his nose which I don’t know why they even did that he was only there for his vaccine I wasn’t putting him in a kennel . I told the vet he had no problems until they put that stuff up his nose he started wheezing and coughing that day and has this problem ever since. I have heard other pet owners have had the same problem so don’t let your vet do that to your puppy because it just causes problems for the rest of there life. I don’t care if it’s a vet something is really wrong there with that nose stuff for kennel.
Same thing here. Dog was fine until he had that vaccine. Now sometimesbhensneezes forn6 minutes .it started 3 days after vaccine. He is 4 years old. I don’t think it is a coincidence.
It’s been 3 days since he had that vaccine and he is doing the reverse sneeze constantly.
Kennel cough is not only needed when a dog is going into a kennel, kennel cough is a virus that dogs can catch anywhere that an effected dog has been, kennel cough can make dogs really ill so it’s always a good idea to get the vaccine
Kennel cough is like a cold to dogs, not dangerous…but contagious. Many money hungry Vets give unnecessary vaccines…it’s money, just money. Greed is a bad thing! Not all Vets are like this , but more than there should be! No kennel cough vaccine for my dogs!
That is part of their puppy shots.They are given 3 sets.They usually get first set at 8 weeks.I have a lot of dogs.Mostly chi and chiweenies.I don’t feel bordetella is necessary,but I’m not a vet.Chihuahuas have inverted tracheas.I have a long hair male that has been sneezing.I am going to bring him to the vet,he’s 4 or 5.I just lost my 8 1/2 yrs old in the middle of the night and I cannot risk loosing another of my babies.I know coughing in chi is common,however I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Has anyone not had their chi vaccinated and not having this problem?
I wonder if it is the vaccines?
I dont have 3 of my 4 Chihuahua’s vaccinated.Chulo (vac., male and neutered) , Monroe (no vac, female and mom to the other 3), Bella and Nova (female no vac.) AND ALL OF THEM DO IT. Especially after drinking water. Chulo and Nova have had allergic reactions. Chulo’s only once but his eyes swelled shut and Nova. Nova has been experiencing some symptoms and we can pin down the allergy yet. Its a process of elimination first. All are playful, happy cuddle bugs that live to sleep under blankets unless its super hot.
My dog died just this october. She was a small teacup Chihuahua, only a year old. She always had a weird choking sound cough which I believe could’ve maybe been reversed sneezing? But one morning I noticed her yelping in pain from her neck as if something was hurting her and then her front legs lost movement slowly and she died in small gasps of breathe . Can someone tell me what may have been the cause.? I can’t rest wondering if I had just would’ve done more.
You didn’t do anything it is just sounding like a complication from being tiny 😞Sorry for your terrible loss I have 2 they are 10 months and were puppy mill pups and very sickly but now mostly ok
Janelie,
Ive had 2 chihuahuas over the span of 20 years. My last chihuahua, Foxy, was 13 years old when one day his breathing turned rapid and short (gasping) and he was noticeably uncomfortable. I rushed him to the vet where I learned he had congestive heart failure. The vet put him in a see-through box that oxygen was pumped into to help him breathe. This happened 7-8 years ago and my vet said other than expensive surgery/treatment (I understand there are medications that may be available in some cases) there was nothing that could be done except to end his suffering. We were extremely close and my decision was by far not an easy one, but I did not have the resources for the surgery/treatment and consented to putting him down. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make and it was absolutely heartbreaking and so painful.. But he was suffering. Me and my family said our goodbyes to him and while talking to him trying to reassure him, with all our hands placed on him, he went to sleep for the last time.
I cannot say that your girl had the same condition but it sounded similar. I know she could feel your love for her and she wasn’t alone. I’m very sorry for your loss.
I have now had another chihuahua for 7 years named Boomer! He is healthy and lively and adorable, my best friend. I hope, when you are ready, you can once again give your love to another little one who will bring you so much happiness.
My mother in law had a chiweenie who had this happen to him. He jumped off of the back of the couch one day and his feet slid out from under him, causing him to smack his chin on the floor. He cried out in pain, but seemed otherwise fairly normal at first. Albeit, understandably, a little bit sore and stiff in the neck for the first day. Then he became very pained the next day. Vet recommended to try ice/heat packs. The day after, he lost use of his front legs. Vet recommended painkillers and muscle relaxes believing he might have a pinched nerve. Didn’t help much. The next couple of days, he became nearly completely paralyzed. Since she’s on a fixed income and already spent so much on vet, she couldn’t afford x rays, which the vet wanted over 300 dollars for.
So the vet recommended more tests for stupid things like his kidneys even though she told him he fell a couple of days ago, he charged her for more and stronger meds, special renal diet food, and laser therapy. (Personally, I don’t even see how shining a souped up light is supposed to do anything.) Obviously, none of that did anything besides drain her finances even more, forcing her to spend what little money she had saved, and giving her poor dog diarrhea on top of his incontinence. We hated to see her trying so hard to nurse him and doing whatever she could but getting no where, her little dog was her constant companion and meant so much to her. So, Her son (my husband)and I sold off some of our prized possessions so we could borrow the money from a friend for another laser treatment, because she thought it seemed to help a little last time. Not much difference. Again borrowed and sold what we could and talked her husband into paying for half of the cost for x rays to figure out etc was going on.
After all that it turned out he had a broken neck. Surgery would have cost thousands, so we got a neck brace and hoped time would heal it if kept immobilized once straightened out correctly by the vet. He died that night when the paralyzation completely took over and left him unable to breathe on his own. She was devastated. You can bet your ass I chewed out the vet like never before. I mean, I’m not a professional, but he should have been able to tell that the dogs neck was broke right off the bat with just an external exam and some sense, but he lacked experience,and put my mother in law through the wringer instead. It didn’t really bring me any comfort to tell him I told you so. So,I ended up having to sell my Xbox just so she and I could make ends meet that month, as well as borrowing money from family.
Not hardly a month later her husband’s death followed. Dropped out of college to care for him since she’s old and weak and had already been through so much. Had to sell my self built custom gaming computer till she got access to his finances since he had no will. Why not? No more access to financial aid since I couldn’t make payments and no more college for me so no point in keeping it when keeping the lights on and not starving were top priority. Then she became depressed and bedridden and broke her hip, so I and my husband took care of her and lived with her even though we didn’t get paid and every one looked down on us like we were just parasites living off herincome who refused to work. But between taking care of MIL, our son, the house upkeep, property, and animals on the ranch, my husband and I had our hands full. Fast forward three years and the damn houseburns down due to faulty wiring from decades ago not built to code. Burnt to the ground and no Insurance on the house. That was four months ago. Moral of the story, never let your Chihuahua jump off of anything ever or your dog will get wrecked,and any time a dog is paralyzed take it very serious. My hypothesis is that your dog might have injured himself in some way on accident and might have died like zippy did. Although thankfully with less pain, time, suffering, and drama involved. It only takes a fraction of a second fora little dog to get a big hurt.That’s why I have a Doberman Shepherd. Little dogs are so fragile. Plus, he saved our lives from the fire Thanks for listening and not TLDR-ing.
My dog is 9 yrs old and yes does the reverse sneezing every so often. I have tought my dog to blow out her nose. It took a few times of me (fake blowing out my nose) for her to catch on. Now when she is in a reverse sneeze, I just imatate blowing out my nose. She will then blow out her nose and episode is over. Before this, I use to block/pinch her nostrals, this worked, but seemed to scare her a bit. The blowing out her nose works way better than rubbing neck, blocking nose etc.
Not 100% sure, but it sounds like heart failure. Sorry for the loss of your baby….
Chihuahuas are so smart, I could see this working for ours as well! Thanks for the suggestion, knikkee.
Hi, I just noticed this thread.
I would like to inform you that this problem is also carried on to cross breeds.
I have Chihuahua x Jack Russell, now 15 and has had the problem since 11. She also has epileptic fits but has led a full and otherwise healthy life.
Her brothers and sisters seemed to be pure Jack Russells, only she had weeping eyes. I picked her cos I knew she’d be passed over.
Not sure if bitches can carry pups from 2 different sires?
Yes they can carry two separately conceived litters at the same time. My apple head chihuahua and mini pin had 6 babies born at once. But only 5 were conceived together and the last one was under developed conceived later than the other and couldn’t survive after birth. She was a great mama and the puppies turned out to be mini weighing only 2-3 lbs full grown. But the vet explained that they can carry two separately conceived liters but when hey birth they all come out.
Do you use Arm&Hammer’s “Pet-Fresh Carpet Freshener” on your carpet (like I used to)?
This may sound like an unusual question, but after process of elimination and a big inconclusive vet bill….I found that this brand was the sole cause of my dogs identicle symptoms. Even after being misdiagnosed and experimented on by some of the best vets in my area. Problem was, that it took nearly a week before I saw the first visible signs of THE initial REACTION (like that horrid couch and reverse sneezing). Even after several attempts were made to remove the product, the damage was done and their symptoms persisted. They didn’t go away until I had the carpets professionally cleaned as well as their bedding and anywhere they tracked the fine powder that they had licked off their feet and introduced into their system. Causing swollen liver and nasal passage damage. Please let me know if this helps, this is the first time I have shared my experience and would like to hear what anyone has to say on the subject.
I used “arm and hammer pet fresh carpet freshener” yesterday and my dog had problems breathing more than ever. I have used it before and he does have problems occasionally. But last night was the worst after using the freshener yesterday. Thanks so much for your post. It really helped us!
Thank you so much….. After my daughter left for college our chihuahua was spending time in my sons room, who loves the carpet stuff. All of a sudden we are noticing an increased amount of problems. Thank you for this post, I will cleaning the carpets!
OMG I just left a comment on another site in reference to my jack chi making similar noises like this. I had a shih tzu poodle mix thst had reverse sneezing fits at times but hers were a little different and I was able to lightly pinch her nose during these fits after her vet taught me how. My 5 month old Jack chi has begun doing this and it sounds like a pig snorting, combined with a person trying to clear a boogie out if there nose by breathing in and out really hard and fast and her head starts moving all over I’m like ok what’s going on here. She’s on liquid Zyrtec for allergies but I’m going to try to video this stuff so I can show her vet.
My JACK is just coughing. He can eat but he doesn’t want to drink. Is this common?? Thank you so much
added to last comment: I also watched videos of the reverse sneezing and it dont seem like that bc she doesnt have that snort noise its more of a hacking noise i think im gana call the vet tomorrow any suggestions on what i can do b4 i get to the vet wld be great thanks
Any update? My dogs soes the hack at the end of the episode. See my comment below.
My baby has always done the hacking, coughing thing, but on Sat. it was a really long one, so am taking her to the Vet. When she does this, I try to physically help her open her mouth and pat her on the back. She has always done this, off and on, but this one was a long one….3 or 4 mins. long
If it’s “hacking” that you are hearing, like they are trying to hack up a hairball, your dog could have a collapsing trachea. My chi has that, just recently diagnosed.
My 6 yo apple head chihuahua has started kind of wheezing at night. Usually it happens in his sleep but tonight it was while he was awake. Judging by what I see as I watch his stomach, it looks like the sound is happening on the inhale, then he kind of exhales rapidly. He does not seem to be bothered by this at all as he fell asleep while it was happening. I was unable to watch the above video, it says the video is “private”. So I’m not sure if this is reverse sneezing or not. Any thoughts would be much appreciate.
I have a very old Chi and can’t afford to go to the vet so I thought I would try giving her some antihistamine and it worked wonders. She looks to be doing much better. She still has episodes but they don’t last as long and aren’t as harsh. I hope this info. might help someone!!!
Thank you very much for great advice. did the suggestions, we be monitoring her eating habits and checking out her resting and sleeping spots any abnormalities. it been very hat this week in the triple digits.
How much benedryl was the chihauhau given?
sounds like she might have the begining stages of patella luxation. Or where her knee pops out of place.Take her to your vet and have her checked out. Hope it will all be positive for you both. I just lost my little papillion to the crushed tracha and had to have him put to sleep. It was the most tramatic thing I have ever had to do. So I do understand how everyone feels about it being scary and we do feel so guilty when our little fur babys are in pain.
My dogs do the same it’s scary… I need help with another matter someone please help me… two days in a row now my chihuahua Lola she’s 6 years old she started yelling and crying and could not move after about a minute she was ok then today she did the same thing and was sitting down she would lift her right paw then she would lift her left paw she was shaking and crying she looked like she was in pain..she has not hurt herself she does not hang out where mosquitoes can bite her plese hel me anyone..thank you
I have a 6year old Lola and she jumped down off the couch and pinched a nerve in her neck and shoulders.
We were prescribed tramydal and in about 2 weeks she was back to normal.
She would lye on her side and shiver in pain but did not move. I could feel the swelling in her neck and shoulders when this would happen so i would message the area till it relaxed. Good luck
My other chi had a red blood cell issue and almost passed away but we used Bio-preparation 3 and she is back to normal from a low blood count of below 11%
Poor baby. My dog started crying a lot and one time he had a pretty good thorn in his paw and another time he’d been stung by a bee. Plus there’s always a chance they jumped or twisted just right and gave themselves a luxating patella which is where they kind of pull their knee out of socket and it floats in and out and will cause them pain. They have surgery for that but it’s expensive and not guaranteed to last. My dog has had both his back legs with luxating patellas and if he does something that hurts them or aggravates it he will limp around for a couple of weeks but usually it gets better and they can live with it though in a perfect world you’d try and get it operated on because I believe it does cause them discomfort they just get use to it plus it will cause a problem with arthritis as they get older. I hope she’s okay.
Get her to the Vet!!!!!
My little papillon was given that nasal bordatella vaccination when she was 8 wks old and suffered they 12 yrs of ‘reverse sneezing’ as the vet called it. I was traumatized with the distress it put on her. She also had a collapse trachea from the regular collar she wore. She ran and then came to a screetching halt which jolted her. She was black from her chin to the bottom of her tummy. Scared me to death. I no longer put a regular collar on my dogs. They wear soft harnesses an I get full control over her. My Pap passed away a yr ago and a few months later I stopped into PetSmart for one of their adoption days hoping to find a Yorkie but instead I found this beautiful –? Maybe long hair chihuahua , burnt orange in colar with the same color eyes. She just turned 1 yr old and has the best personality and well mannered. Understands commands pretty quickly and I am training her to be a therapy dog. She is magnificent . My sweet little Cassie
My 4 mo old Chihuahua started doing this reverse sneezing a day after her nasal bordatella vaccination…I have no idea what to do?! My vet said it shouldn’t be related but after much reading I see that it has happened to MANY more than me. I hate it for her and it makes me angry that I did this to her! 🙁
Just had vet give my 8 year old male chihuahua the nasal bordetella vaccine for first time on 8/30/19. He went from having a reverse sneezing once every week or two to 7 or more times a day. One week later (9/6/19) Vet gave him Prednisolone (anti inflammatory) for 4 day weekend and it helped, but I haven’t given him any more in 3 days and reverse sneezing has returned with an episode tonight (9/12/19) that was long and scary. He was fine until the nasal bordetella vaccine. What have you learned since your post? Did your chi get better? If so, how?
We have two chihuahuas and so far only one does that noise. My mother in law has a chihuahua and I noticed him doing it sometime back, then before I realized our dog was soon doing it, so I thought maybe it was contagious , I am very muvh relieved to know that it wasnt catchy at all. I thank God because when I knew not what to do, , I just began to massage his neck area gentley which did seem to help quite a bit. We havenr the money to take them to the vet, I want to thank you for posting ur info it was an enlightment to finally know the cause of these episodes. Thank you.
I have two chihuahuas one is 5 the other is 6 and they have been doing that a lot lately especially today like every 20 minutes is it the same thing??
I have 2 chihuahua and the small one just started that snorting more frequent. I notice this when I put the flea medicine on her. Could that trigger her to doing that?
Be careful with topical flea medicine and chihuahuas. My dogs both started having seizures after I started them on topical flea medication.
They are too small & the same poison that kills fleas is killing them.
Just bathe them in Dawn dish soap when needed.
My dog was doing this for a while I gave her allergy medicine for about 2 weeks 2x a day, and warm water. She stopped doing it. When she does occasionally have an episode I give her one dosage. She’s usually fine
Hi
I gave a Bichon frese that is doing the same , it is allergy related as she done the same thing around the same time last year.
Val u said you gave your dog allergy medicine, can you tell me what it was that you gave her?
Thanks
Julie
What did Val write the allergy meds were? I have a Chorkie, about 3, and she started this wheezing just this evening, very worried.
Also trachea collapse does not always show on xray due to the difficulties taking a xray at the precise moment a dog breaths in.
My chihuahua was just diagnosed with collapse trachea and what ur describing sounds just like my lil nico symptoms unfortunately there is no cure there is very invasive surgery to try and place a stent but its 50/50 chance of success besides surgery they manage it with medications for cough and breathing also lifestyle changes on ur dog and u …dog has to be in a stress free environment and try to not get to excited hope this helps
Sorry to hear that your Nico suffers from a collapsed trachea. Problems such as these are fairly common in Chihuahuas, and you’re certainly right: excitement can produce wheezing episodes.
My Chihuahua is 11 years old and she has been coughing for about 5 months now. This is not a reverse sneeze, it is more like a dry hacking cough and then she will wheeze for several minutes (about 10 minutes on average). She sounds like she is in pain and she cannot breath properly during those spells. Her cough is especially prevalent during the night and morning. She will have coughing spells throughout the day as well (around once every two hour). Sometimes when she coughs a lot, she will cough up something and swallow it. Only once did I see that it was white foam.
I have taken her to the veterinarian and she was prescribed an antibiotic since he thought it might be an infection. I gave her the antibiotic and it did not help or lessen her coughing. I then took her back again and he gave me a diuretic to get rid of fluid and again, this did not help her. All this medication did was make her urinate in great volume and make her thirsty. Also, she swelled up like a balloon. The vet then took chest x-rays and found that her liver was a bit enlarged and was pushing against her diaphragm. In addition, he said her heart looked normal. He then prescribed a stronger antibiotic and a medication that he described as a human equivalent to Mucinex. I decided against giving her any more antibiotics since he said it would make her sick and nauseous and because of what he said about her liver (my Chihuahua’s mother died from liver failure). Instead, I only gave her the “Mucinex”. It has not helped her any.
In the past she has been evaluated for heartworm and the blood test turned out negative. I do not know what to do. Are there any natural remedies or anything else I can do for my Chihuahua? Is this cough beatable given her age? Is there any cure? I am scared I might lose her 🙁
PLEASE HELP
Hey Daniel,
It’s hard to say what exactly is causing your Chihuahua to experience these episodes; it could be from fluid in their lungs, a collapsed trachea, allergies, kennel cough, heart disease, respiratory disease or heartworms… Talk with your veterinarian to try and rule out each of these possible causes. It’s also not a bad idea to take your Chihuahua to a different veterinarian for a second opinion.
Try giving your dog a small teaspoon of honey or some honey and coconut oil mixed together. It will not prevent the coughing but it will soothe your dogs irritated throat and is a natural remedy. Be careful though because honey will cause your dogs blood sugar to rise a little so if your dog has a natually high blood sugar level then I wouldnt do the honey. My little 13year old chihuahua has seizures and this tyoe of coughing but the seizures are due to low blood sugar levels so the honey works both ways 🙂
I have a 3 old female chihuahua and ever since I got her she started this. Especially when she was excited, excessive playing and drinking water. I took her to the vet more then 3 times, they gave her medication, but all the medication they gave her NOTHING worked, I spend more then $1000. I kept researching in the internet day and night until I came to u tube put in the search reverse sneezing believe me this was very helpful. this is common in small breed dogs. but I urge all of u those who we care for our pets to look it up you all well be so relieve. God bless.
A dog I rescued started hacking and coughing and couldn’t breathe right. I took her to emergency and she had laryngeal paralysis. I had never heard of it before. Did your vet ever mention that? I see that your letter was from almost a year ago, so hopefully your doggie is all better by now. Good luck.
My Chihuahua turns 11 this month and has too started the last couple of weeks really wheezing and being out of breath. It’s not the reverse sneezing either, he did that a lot when he was younger and i know what that is. This is different it’s got kind of that whistling sound when he wheezes. I know he’s a little over weight and doesn’t get a lot of exercise and I figure that’s contributing. It definitely happens whenever he goes up the stairs or I pick him up like the pressure against his chest makes it worse. I keep worrying that he has a collapsed lung or fluid in them. He can be fine for hours but he’s doing it several times a day and it lasts for about 10 minutes and I’m getting worried because of his age. Have you found out what’s wrong with your dog Daniel?
Just came across this and it is exactly what my chihuahua has started doing (he is now 2). I am so relieved thats all it is. It made me panic and nearly rush off to the vets. It happened twice yesterday and once this morning.
Does this need any medical treatment ?
Please don’t take this advice of “they can’t do anything at the vet”. My chi was coughing and wheezing more than normal, she always has a little sniffle and does do the hyperventilatiing that has been described above when she gets over excited. HOWEVER, I got concerned with the wheezing and brought her to the vet. It turned out to be fluid in her lungs due to progressive heart failure. Please don’t wait to take your dog in. I know it’s expensive (I owe tons to credit cards) and it may be nothing, but you really can’t wait when it comes to their respiration. It is often a sign of something bigger. Also on that note the vet said that a lot of little dogs have bouts of pneumonia. Totally curable, but will advance rather quickly if ignored. To good health for all your babies.
Hello I really need help my chihuahua (7 years old) has been doing this since the end of last year we thought it was a cold since of the cold weather but now it’s summer and she’s still the same I am very worried because it has not gone away. Can someone help me understand what is happening? Is it going to go away? What can I do to help?
Thank you
my toy fox terrier has exhibited this behavior it is so scary to see her doing this, she is 2 years old