Corgi and Me

Corgi and Me Debra's Pet Care formerly Corgi and Me

Whether you need a doggie sleepover at my house, a dog walk or potty break, a little kitty love or help getting to the vet- we can assure you a safe trip.

12/14/2019

I'm trying to change the Corgi and Me page to Debra's Pet Care. Potential clients were thinking I only care for Corgis so I changed the name to be more generic.

09/20/2017

Top 10 Holistic Tips For Managing Your Pet's Fall Allergies
By Patrick Mahaney, VMD

Regardless of location, the elemental tumult of fall (dying plant life, dryness, moisture, cooler temperatures, wind, etc.) stirs up environmental allergens and irritants that can affect the eyes, nose, skin, and other body systems of both people and animals.

Common clinical signs of allergies include:
- Nasal and eye discharge
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Pruritis (itching/scratching, licking/chewing at body parts)
- Fur loss or color change (tears and saliva contain porphyrins, which stain light colored fur pink to brown)

The competent immune systems of most companion canines and felines will ultimately adapt to the seasonal changes, leading to the resolution of clinical signs. With animals that are not quite able to self-adjust, we pet owners must intervene with baths, conditioning rinses, eye/ear drops, oral or injectable medications (antihistamines, antibiotics, steroids, etc.), nutraceuticals (omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant, etc.), or other treatments.

A pet’s ability to acclimate to environmental allergens is based on a variety of factors, including:

- Overall state of health (i.e., healthy vs. sick)
- Underlying diseases that compromise immune system function (cancer, immune mediated [i.e., autoimmune] diseases, Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, etc.)
- Immunomodulating medications (chemotherapy, steroids, etc.)
- Diet (whole versus processed food, protein and carbohydrate allergies, etc.)
- Degree of exposure (occasional vs. frequent)

Since so many factors can affect immune system health, the management of allergies can potentially be very complicated.

My top tips for holistically managing your pet’s seasonal allergies addresses both whole-body health and environment factors.
1. Keep your home low in allergenic potential. Vacuum all carpeting and upholstery and wash all pet and human bedding at least every seven days. After vacuuming, dispose of the vacuum bag or canister in a sealed away from your home.

2. Keep windows closed, use air conditioning during the warmer times, and run an air filtration system on a year-round basis.

3. Change filters on both heating and cooling systems as per manufacturer guidelines.

4. Bathe your pets every 7 to 30 days (once weekly to once monthly) or as per your veterinarian’s guidelines based on your pet’s skin and coat needs. Besides removing allergens and irritants from the skin and coat, bathing can have a variety of other effects including killing and removing bacteria and yeast, removing fleas and their saliva and f***s (free dirt), and lifting off flaking skin.

5. Use an over-the-counter eye irrigating solution to rinse your pet’s eyes on an as needed basis.

6. Schedule a physical examination with your veterinarian and pursue recommended diagnostics at least every 12 months.

7. Commit to readily resolving or managing disease conditions, as inflammation associated with illness negatively impacts immune system health.

8. Use topical and oral anti-parasite (flea, tick, etc.) treatments as per the guidance of your veterinarian. My general recommendation is to lessen the need for these products by keeping your shared environment thoroughly and regularly cleaned.

9. Provide a moist, freshly prepared, whole food-based diet having human-grade protein, vegetables, fruits, fat, and fiber. Avoid ingredients that are lacking in protein and grain “meals and by-products,” artificial colors and flavors, moistening agents (propylene glycol, carageenan, etc.), sugar, rendered fat, and other feed-grade components (as typically go into commercially available dog and cat foods).

10. Maintain your pet’s slim Body Condition Score (ideally 3 out of 3) on a lifelong basis. Being overweight or obese causes unnecessary stress on all body systems and contributes to inflammation, which can have serious health implications.

You may also find some relief with an air purifier. Through keeping windows and doors shut and regularly running the air purifier, I’ve noticed an improvement in the eye and nasal irritation I’m experiencing. Cardiff’s tendencies to chew around his knees and scratch around his armpits are also improving. Luckily, Cardiff has not been enduring eye and respiratory clinical signs like his daddy.

I hope that you and your pet have an enjoyable remainder of your fall filled with many quintessential experiences (leaf-pile diving, pumpkin picking, hay rides, etc.) experienced in a less-allergenic state.

03/23/2017

Does Climate Change Impact Flea and Tick Populations?
petMD

Someday, in the not-so far off future, we may be calling flea and tick season flea and tick year.

Climate change gets a lot of press for creating extreme weather and threatening sea coasts with rising tides, but a problem that doesn't often turn up is the risk it creates for the world's pets.

The problem? As the climate heats up, it's become less unusual to find record-hot days in traditionally cold months like November and December, which means that ticks and fleas are finding the world a more hospitable place and our dogs, cats and small animals (like rabbits) have better odds of catching diseases spread by fleas and ticks.

If you're interested in what's happening as far as climate change and fleas and ticks are concerned, here's what you can expect.

Fleas and Ticks Are Expanding Their Territory

As temperatures rise, certain areas of the country are becoming more inviting to fleas and ticks. Worldwide climate trends continue to break records, with 2016 being the hottest year ever on record, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This might explain why ticks that can spread Lyme disease have been making their way through northern Sweden for the last 30 years. Meanwhile, in the United States, black-legged ticks (which transfer Lyme and other diseases) have approximately doubled in the last two decades. Twenty years ago, you'd never see them, for instance, in Northern Minnesota, and now you do.

While climate change appears to be the primary cause for the spread of ticks and fleas, “it could be climate change plus other things,” says Mayla Hsu, PhD., a microbiologist and a science officer for the Global Lyme Alliance.

Hsu lists a variety of factors that have been helped spread fleas and ticks along with rising temperatures, including urban sprawl (in which humans and pets move to far-flung areas and possibly bring ticks and fleas with them) and the rise of the deer population and invasive plants (which have given ticks more hosts and ways for them to travel from place to place).

As for the continuing urban sprawl, Hsu says that there's been some debate among ecologists that you may be safer from ticks walking your dog in the deep woods rather than on the fringe of a forest.

"The thinking is that in the deep forest, you have more animals that can act as hosts, and so that dilutes your risk when you're walking your dog," Hsu says. "And then when you walk along the border zone, like a mix of suburban and forest areas, where there are a lot of trees with ticks but not too many animals, you're more susceptible to being bitten."

Climate change appears to be affecting ticks more than fleas, says Thomas J. Daniels, PhD., an associate research scientist at Fordham University's Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station. Fleas aren't as affected by climate change, he says, because they live on their hosts (meaning your pet dog or cat). So, while the world around your pet is changing, your pet's environment remains fairly constant for fleas, Daniels says.

"That’s not to say that a warmer planet won’t have some effect on fleas, but it will be more indirect – and unpredictable," Daniels says.

An Increase in Flea and Tick-Borne Illnesses

Naturally, if flea and tick season – warmer months like summer and fall – lasts longer, the odds increase that your pet could catch a disease. The season is lengthening, Hsu says, adding that, "above 34 degrees, ticks can move around, and you can still get bitten."

The types of flea and tick-borne diseases your dog or cat is at risk for include:

- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: one of the better-known tick-borne diseases that can affect dogs and occasionally cats. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no vaccine for the disease (which can be treated by oral antibiotics) and it can cause life-threatening conditions in dogs including kidney failure and liver damage.
- American canine hepatozoonosis: according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, if your dog were to catch this tick-borne disease, he or she might suffer from a high fever, pain and may lose all interest in eating food.
- Tularemia: this is a disease that usually is spread from a tick to a cat (although dogs can get it and so can humans), according to the CDC. Cats develop a high fever, nasal issues and sometimes abscesses form around the tick bite.
- Lyme disease: a potentially fatal disease transmitted through deer ticks that dogs, cats and humans can get. The disease is transmitted after about 48 hours, according to the CDC, and can cause anything from kidney disease or nervous system disorders.
- Bartonellosis: better known as "cat scratch fever" (although dogs can get it, too), Bartonellosis is a disease spread by fleas. Fortunately, the worst your cat will likely be in for are swollen glands, aching muscles and maybe a fever. You could catch it from your cat, but it is not fatal.

Interestingly, some flea and tick diseases may drop if the temperatures keep rising, according to Daniels.

"Not all disease agents are likely to move equally well. For instance, predictions are that the agents of anaplasmosis and Does Climate Change Impact Flea and Tick Populations?
by Geoff Williams

Powassan fever may not do as well in a warmer climate so we might see infection rates in ticks with those agents actually drop in some areas," he says.

Powassan fever isn't believed to be harmful to cats or dogs, but some animals and humans can get it. Your dog, however, can come down with canine anaplasmosis, which is carried by deer ticks and western black-legged ticks, and your dog and cat are also able to get a different type of anaplasmosis carried by the brown dog tick. Symptoms include vomiting and nervous system disorders, but antibiotics can be used to treat it, according to the CDC.

Today's flea and tick treatments won't treat tomorrow's flea and ticks, Daniels says. The parasites will adapt to the ingredients in the medications and survive. "This resistance to the active ingredients in the repellents will force manufacturers to find new agents," he says. "It’s the way of the world."

Still, fleas and ticks will endanger a lot of pets and people as the planet's climate warms, and Hsu admits that she is concerned: "Ticks are spread, moving and increasing, and we don't have enough awareness of what a problem it can be. We need to be vigilant."

That means being militant about using flea and tick medication year-round, especially if you live in a part of the country where winters are mild. It also means taking your dog or cat to the vet for regular check-ups and not hesitating to go when something is amiss.

01/13/2017

Treating Skin Allergies in Dogs
By Jennifer Coates

Allergies are an increasingly frequent problem for dogs, mirroring a similar trend in people. The reason why is still unclear, but this and the similarity between some types of allergies in dogs and people have led to interesting research that could benefit both species.

The most common form of allergies in dogs goes by the name atopic dermatitis (AD). Here’s how I defined the condition in my book Dictionary of Veterinary Terms, Vet Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian:

"Atopic dermatitis n. inflammation of the skin that is caused by a genetic tendency to have allergic reactions…".

And here’s how the condition in people is described by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology:

"Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a chronic or recurrent inflammatory skin disease. "Atopic" means that there is typically a genetic tendency toward allergic disease…".

Pretty similar, right? That’s why I took interest in a paper that recently appeared in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, not a publication that many veterinarians frequent.

In the study, researchers looked at the microbiome—the naturally occurring population of microbes—on the skin of 32 dogs (15 with atopic dermatitis and 17 without). They compared the microbiomes before, during, and after the dogs with atopic dermatitis developed symptoms and were treated with antibiotics to help them recover. They found that that during a flare-up, dogs with atopic dermatitis “had almost ten times” the proportion of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, the bacterial species primarily responsible for common skin infections in dogs. The researchers also saw an increase in Corynebacterium species, “as they typically do in humans with AD,” and observed “a decrease in the skin’s protective barrier.” After antibiotic therapy was finished, all of these parameters returned to normal.

“In both canine and human atopic dermatitis, we hypothesize there is a similar relationship among skin barrier function, the immune system, and microbes, even if the individual microbe species aren’t identical,” said senior author Elizabeth A. Grice, PhD, an assistant professor of Dermatology and Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

“The hope is that insights gained from this study and others like it will enable us one day to treat this condition by altering the skin’s microbiome without antibiotics.”

Impairment in the skin’s ability to work as a “barrier” to keep moisture in and harmful bacteria out is considered a possible factor in triggering or advancing AD.

“We don’t know if the bacterial overgrowth is weakening the skin’s barrier function or a weakening of the barrier is enabling the bacterial overgrowth, but we do know now that they’re correlated, and that’s a novel finding,” Grice said.

To me, this research provides support for the way that many veterinarians now recommend managing cases of atopic dermatitis in dogs:

- Frequent bathing to remove allergic triggers that are so easily trapped in a dog’s coat, near their skin.
- Fatty acid supplements given orally and/or topically to help improve the skin’s ability to act as a barrier.
- When necessary, antibiotics to normalize the microbiome of the skin.
- Medications and/or desensitization to reduce a dog’s tendency for allergic reactions.

Talk to your veterinarian if you have a dog with atopic dermatitis to determine what form of combination therapy is most appropriate based on the details of the case.

12/30/2016

At times, our cats can be funny—and weird—companions. They like to sleep on our heads, play with boxes and bring home that dead mouse they recently killed. Some like to sprint and jump off of couches and counters and rest in nooks behind toilets and on top of cabinets. Another strange-to-us behavior that felines seem to favor? Knocking things over. And while the habit can be funny sometimes, other times it leaves us with a shattered glass, vase or [insert your latest broken item here] and a mess to clean up.

Why Do Cats Knock Things Over?
By Caitlin Ultimo

Some of our cats’ strange habits can be easily explained, but this is one habit that leaves us scratching our heads. So, while trying to better understand your cat and prevent a future mess you may wonder: Why do cats knock things over? “It depends, says Amy Shojai, CABC, certified animal behavior consultant (CABC) with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and the author of several books about cat antics. “There could be multiple reasons why cats knock things over.”

Could cats knocking things off tables and shelves have something to do with your cat’s prey drive? “Probably,” says Adi Hovav, senior feline behavior counselor at the ASPCA Adoption Center. “Cats are hardwired to hunt for their food, so knocking things over may be a manifestation of this instinct.” Further, Shojai explains, “Cats use their paws to test and explore objects, and the movement, sound, and touch or feel of the object helps them understand what might be safe or not.” Your cat’s paw pads are very sensitive, so when they pat, swat, and knock something down, it helps them better explore the objects around them.

How you react after something is knocked down can also influence whether or not the behavior continues. “Humans make great audiences,” explains Hovav. “Who doesn’t jump up when that glass starts to go over the edge of the table?” When cats want attention, they learn very quickly what gets your eyes on them.

“Cats are incredibly adept at finding ways to manipulate what they want,” says Shojai, “which often comes down to: Look at me, feed me, play with me.” She explains that since even bad attention is better than being ignored, knocking over objects provides another way for cats to get a reaction out of their owners. So as hard as it may be, if your cat is in the habit of knocking things over to get your attention, the best thing to do is to ignore the behavior (and put away any breakable valuables).

Another explanation? Your cat may knock things over simply because it’s fun. “A moving paw-patted object combines all of the best aspects of stalking and prey chase with the movement and tactile feel of the patted object, and the final escape rush of the falling item,” explains Shojai. To prevent accidents, make sure your cat has plenty of appropriate toys around and rotate them in and out of service to keep them exciting and new. And schedule play and exercise time with your cat every day. The combination of boredom and pent up energy will always send cats searching for “trouble.”

Knocking objects over or off of shelves and tables may be a way for your cat to express his prey drive, explore his surroundings, and get your attention, but cat behaviorists agree that there could be other undiscovered reasons behind this common cat behavior. “The research just hasn’t been done yet,” shares Hovav.

Study Finds That Dogs Not Only Understand What We Say, But How We Say It from an article by Pet MDWhen you tell your dog...
09/30/2016

Study Finds That Dogs Not Only Understand What We Say, But How We Say It
from an article by Pet MD

When you tell your dog "Good boy!" when he's gone potty in the right place or retrieved a ball you've thrown, he looks happy that he made you so very happy. While dog owners already know that the words we say and how we say them have a major impact on our pets, science is now proving it to be true.

The groundbreaking study, which was conducted by a Hungarian research group (led by researcher Attila Andics of the Department of Ethology and MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group at Eötvös Loránd University) and published in Science magazine, reports that "dogs, like people, use the left hemisphere [of their brain] to process words, a right hemisphere brain region to process intonation, and praising activates dogs' reward center only when both words and inonation match."

In other words, if you say "I love you" in a neutral tone of voice, your dog won't have the same response to it as if you were to say those same words, but with a more cheerful disposition. (Think about it... can't you say the same for yourself?)

So, how exactly did the researchers find this evidence? According to a press release from Andics, 13 dogs were trained by Márta Gácsi, ethologist and developer of the training method, and an author of the study, to lay completely motionless in an fMRI brain scanner. fMRI provided a non-invasive, harmless way of measuring the dog's brains.

"We measured dogs’ brain activity as they listened to their trainer’s speech,” Anna Gábor, PhD student and author of the study said in the release. “Dogs heard praise words in praising intonation, praise words in neutral intonation, and also neutral conjunction words, meaningless to them, in praising and neutral intonations. We looked for brain regions that differentiated between meaningful and meaningless words, or between praising and non-praising intonations."

In the press release, Andics says that, like human brains, a dog's brain responds more effectively "if both words and intonation match." This revelation not only supports the knowledge that dogs can understand language and have emotional responses like we do, but that language itself is a construct. "What makes words uniquely human is not a special neural capacity, but our invention of using them,” Andics said.

petMD talked to other experts in the field to get their take on the study. Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, DVM, BVMS, DVA, DACVAA, DACVB, of Tufts University and author of Pets on the Couch, says, "This study is yet another brick in the wall that proves that dogs are more like us than people give them credit for."

Dodman points out that dogs have the capacity to understand short words and phrases that they know (such as "come" or "sit and stay"), but more complex language or "nonsense words" will have no effect on them because there's no intrinsic reward. Still, like humans, when the reward mechanism part of the brain is lit up, the reaction will be very different.

Dr. Laurie Bergman, VMD, DACVB of Keystone Veterinary Behavior Services, echoes the sentiment that the study proves what so many dog owners and trainers already know about language and the effect it has on their canine companions. "It's recognizing how innately rewarding a good, positive interaction can be with an owner [for the dog]."

What to do with Pets while on VacationBy Vanessa VoltolinaIt may seem as though pets have a sixth sense when it comes to...
08/24/2016

What to do with Pets while on Vacation
By Vanessa Voltolina

It may seem as though pets have a sixth sense when it comes to travel -- especially when they’re not invited! Kitty may cozy up to you the second suitcases are packed, or your dog may start looking depressed during the pre-vacation hustle and bustle. Before going away, one of the biggest decisions for pet owners is what to do with their pets. Here, there are five options for where to board your pet while you’re away.

1. Pet Sitting
Using a pet sitter is one way to fuse the personal with professional. Many cats and dogs feel comfortable in their own environments, so having an experienced pet sitter come by for feedings, walks and playtimes is a solid option. Decide whether you want a sitter to simply visit your home on a daily basis (or perhaps multiple times per day) to spend some QT with your pet, or have them stay in your home for the duration of your trip.

2. In-Home Pet Boarding
While enlisting a pet sitter is a good option, so is in-home pet boarding. In-home boarding involves you bringing your animals to a pet sitter’s home in your area before leaving on vacation. Whether to in-home board or hire a pet sitter to come to your home depends on the needs of your pet.

In-home boarding gives dogs the opportunity to socialize with other dogs under the supervision of a responsible pet owner, as well as individualized attention and more daily interaction. In-home boarding can be more affordable than pet sitters that come to the home, too, and there is the added security of not giving up your house keys.

3. Traditional Boarding (Dog Kennels/Catteries)
If you have a cat, choose a boarding facility where cats do not come into contact with each other. As a pet parent, it’s important to search for boarding options that are feline-only. Cats do much better in this type of environment. Unless the cats are from the same family, they should not be put into a room with other unfamiliar cats. This is an important health and safety precaution to ensure that cats won’t fight or mate. Ask about a nice, large confinement area (aka a “kitty condo”) and that cats will have a litter box, toys and food puzzles, as well as a hiding place within the area. On the flips side, dogs are pack animals and sociable, so ensure that they will have enough activity time to play and run with other dogs. Find qualified boarding facilities by searching the International Boarding and Pet Services Association.

4. Family Friend/Neighbor
Good friends or neighbors go gaga every time they see your pet? Next time you take a vacation, consider asking them to stop in to feed and play with your four-legged family member. Of course, confirm that this person is responsible and knowledgeable about the basics of pet care. Be equally cautious if your dog is off-the-wall, or your cat has a history of marking “new territory,” as it may put a strain on your friendship. If this friend or neighbor is a pet owner, offer to return the favor someday, and consider bringing them back a small token from your trip as a thank you!

5. Take Them Along
It can be fun to travel with your pet in certain situations, and is becoming more feasible as the number of pet-friendly hotels grows. If an activity like camping is on the agenda, your canine may enjoy being with your family in the great outdoors. Double check that your vacation is pet-friendly, though, as many places, including parks and beaches, are known for “no dogs allowed” policies. But if your pet loves to travel, a pet-friendly vacation could be a nice change of pace. Search sites like Petswelcome.com and Officialpethotels.com to find establishments that love your pet as much as you do.

06/28/2016

Lawn Chemicals and Your Pet
By Krystle Vermes

Pesticides accounted for more than 32 percent of lawn and garden supply sales in 2014. As Americans strive for the perfect green lawn, they are using a wide array of chemicals to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, this has a detrimental effect on the environment and the animals who live in it.

But “animals” are not limited to wildlife. In fact, many pets are susceptible to falling ill as a result of exposure to lawn chemicals. Pet owners also happen to carry many pesticide chemicals with them, on clothes and shoes, as a result of regular exposure. Research has revealed that after pesticides are applied outdoors on lawns, they often make their way indoors and onto surfaces.

How much exposure do cats and dogs experience when they are close to the ground on a regular basis?

A study published in July 2013 looked at urine samples of dogs from 25 households to determine whether chemicals entered their systems after they were applied to lawns. Chemicals were detected in the urine of dogs from 19 of the 25 households examined following pesticide application. However, it’s worth noting that pets from 14 of the 25 households had chemicals in their urine prior to application.
fertilizers, may only cause mild stomach upset, while others, such as insecticides, can be deadly.”

Wismer goes on to state that insecticides and snail bait tend to be the most poisonous to pets. Luckily, safer alternatives, such as pyrethrins, have been developed as of late.

“There has been a greater awareness [from insecticide developers] that people have pets, and the labeling reflects that,” Wismer continued. “The products used today are much safer around pets than the ones we used 20 years ago.”

Some experts believe that it isn’t just insecticides that pose the biggest threat—herbicides and fertilizers can be just as dangerous. Disolfuton, for example, is a pesticide commonly used to protect roses. It’s extremely toxic to animals, causing everything from diarrhea to seizures.

“With more pressure from pet owners, the large lawn care companies may be looking for ways to accommodate safety concerns,” said Dr. Avi Adulami of the Smiling Pets Veterinary Clinic in Florida.

However, the key to improving safety may not just lie in the hands of fertilizer and pesticide manufacturers. There is plenty that pet owners can do to maintain their lush, green lawns while keeping their furry friends safe.

“Most lawns need very few supplemental chemicals beyond nutrients applied in fertilizer products,” said Dr. Frank Rossi of Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science.

“When fertilizing your lawn, be sure to water the product off the leaves after application. Then, it is safe for pets to enter.”

The dryness of pesticides on plants after application may also play a role in how they impact animals that come into contact with them.

“Pesticide use is different if it’s allowed to stay on foliage,” Rossi continued. “This is only an issue with some w**d control products that have to dry on the leaves. Most other lawn pesticides are watered in like fertilizer and once watered in will not pose a risk to pets. If a product must dry on the leaf, avoid the area with pets until it has dried.”

Rossi goes on to state that as pesticide and insecticide manufacturers move to make these chemicals safer for humans, they are inevitably becoming safer for animals, too.

Of course, it helps for pet owners to be savvy about what they buy for their lawns. Warning labels on lawn care items may list specific hazards to animals, as well as precautionary statements. All of these warnings should be taken into consideration before using a product throughout a yard.

06/24/2016

What Happens When A Dog Reverse Sneezes?
Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer, AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
June 24, 2016

It is a fairly common respiratory event in dogs, but is rarely seen in cats. We suspect the cause to be irritation or inflammation of the nasal, pharyngeal, or sinus passages (upper airways). It may be a way for the dog to attempt to remove foreign particles such as dust, powder or other irritants or allergens from its upper airways. It is also seen after periods of over-excitement.

Reverse sneezing is characterized by sudden rapid and repeated inhalations through the nose, followed by snorting or gagging sounds. It can be alarming to an owner, but is not known to be harmful to dogs with no other underlying condition such as heart disease. Most dogs are completely normal before and after these episodes. In dogs that exhibit reverse sneezing, it is not uncommon for them to have repeat episodes of reverse sneezing throughout their lives.What Happens When A Dog Reverse Sneezes?

During a reverse sneeze, the dog will start suddenly stand still, and extend its head and neck. A loud snorting sound is produced.

This condition should be differentiated from a tracheal collapse (often seen in toy breeds), which is characterized by a loud "honking" sound.

A tracheal collapse is of a more serious nature that a reverse sneeze.

What Should I Do If My Dog Reverse Sneezes?

A common remedy is to briefly hold close the dog's nostrils for a second and lightly massage the throat to calm. Lightly blowing in its face may also help. This should cause the dog to swallow a couple of times, which will usually stop the spasm of the reverse sneeze. Getting the dog in a cool area or outside with fresh air while trying to verbally calm them can also be useful.

Most dogs do not require medication, however some veterinarian recommend antihistamines if the problem is serious, chronic, and allergy related. An evaluation of the environment would also be helpful in determining possible causes of these events. Perfumes, carpet cleaners, etc. are often cited in these dogs' histories.

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