[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

we had friends over yesterday and they have a boxer and so does their brother, here on the island..

well yesterday they were telling me that the 2 year old boxer is on several very expensive meds for asthma..and so is their brothers boxer..i said are the boxers related? he said no...i said do you go to the same vet? he said yes..

so i asked how they knew it was asthma...he said you know the noise Isis was just making?...i said yes..which she had jsut cleared her throat doing that reverse sneeze nose clearing thing..he said thats how they knew ! i said uhmmm thats it? no tests or anything? he said no..

do you know that they pay over $200 a month each in meds for asthma for these 2 dogs...WOW !! with no tests just believing that the vet knew that the dogs had asthma...i asked if there were other things like couldnt breath, allergies etc..they said no jsut that noise. 8O

boy oh boy..and its the same vets office we go to..but different doc..my vet has a boxer and a lab...so i told them to switch docs and ask questions..

anyone ever run into this diagnosis?

 

[FREDOSMOM]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

i really don't understand how some vets can give you totally different opinions. Last night when I brought Fredo in for his last shot, he was wearing the gentle leader that one of our vets recommended and the vet that gave us his last vaccine was like...oh..nice muzzle...the vet tech looked at him like he was crazy..he actually thought it was a muzzle..i just don't get it.

 

[Starr05]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

My Boston terrier use to do it ALL the time. I was told it was an inverted sneeze but never Asthma. So he never has meds and was jsut fine.

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

weird i know just thought id ask to see what others thought..i thought it was crazy since we were jsut talking about it here the other day...

 

[sully]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

I have to admit, even after reading all the threads with the search words "gagging" "coughing" and "sneezing",  I am still confused what the reverse sneeze is.  Oggie seems to always be blowing air out his nose, he'll do it a couple of times and it does sorta look like a sneeze.  To me this has to be sneezing.  But then other times, not quite so often, he will all of a sudden go into this thing where it sounds like he is choking and gagging, like something is stuck in his throat and he's going to vomit, but nothing comes out.  It's really scary and I sit there feeling in a panic like I should be giving him the heimlech or something and then soon he stops and he appears to be fine while I'm like "what the hell just happened?"  Is that the reverse sneeze?  Either one?

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

sounds like when you have something stuck between your nose and throat...i think the dogs like snort and sniff and sound like choking to clear it out...thats what Isis does..and then shes fine..

 

[Bumpy]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

The last one, sounds like it may be it.

 

[Starr05]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

A reverse sneeze kinda sounds like they are gasping for air. My vet said that it is not sneezing at all it is a spasm of the soft palate which is caused by irritation,it can also be a collapsed trachea

 

[sully]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

Wow I just searched for "reverse sneezing" on youtube and theres a bunch of videos!  None for boxers that I could find but a bulldog is on there and its basically what my boy Oggie was doing.  Well I brought him to the vet today because I was so concerned, I thought it was a bad cough.  The vet gave me temeral thinking it was allergies.  I'm wondering if he even needs it at this point

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

well you could always ask ...dont want you to not give him something he needs...but yet might not need it either...id ask see what they say

 

[sharonL]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

Ky....That is interesting to say the least.  I actually have never seen a dog DX with Asthma in all my time.  Makes me wonder what all drugs they have the poor guys on......I would recommend a second opinion on that one.  Reverse Sneeze is so common in short snouted dogs......

And the explanation of the Reverse sneezing is an irritation of the soft palate and throat that causes spasm's.  Sometimes the dog will hold it's neck  extend and the chest will expand. Bacially scare you and make you think they are gagging, coughing or gasping for air.

What causes it....well.....Anything that bothers the throat can cause it. Being excited, exercise, eating, drinking, pulling on a leash to hard, pollen, perfumes, viruses, household chemicals, allergies, and  the most common post-nasal drip.  

Dogs that are considered "Brachycephalic" which Boxers are!!!!  have a short snout and a elongated soft palates occasionally suck the palate into the back of the throat. If the palate is real long sometimes they have to have surgery.  This is pretty common in Pugs.

If/When it stops, the spasm is over. You can massage the throat to make it stop. You can put your hand over your dogs nostrils, which makes them swallow and clear the throat.  Some dogs have this their entire lives; some only when they are older. The spasm is only a temporary problem that goes away on its own...leaving no damage.

 

[Barbs2Ks]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

My pit Rascal used to get it, more often in the winter.

 

[CrazieKC]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

Milo started a few weeks ago and Kaci's just started today, I'm not liking it much.

 

[Sadiesmomma]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

Well all those drugs for that amount of money seems like a bit much to me! No experience with the "reverse sneeze" as of yet, but at least now I'll know what it is!

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

oo thank you so much Sharon i was hoping youd answer...i couldnt think of the words lol ..i was trying to compare it to something we feel and that was it ! the post nasal drip...like when we are sick and its stuck between that seems to be what Isis does..

i am going to ask them what the meds are..but they were very happy i had told them about this as we were just talking about this on a post in the last few days...they are going (both) to another vet..they did say the dog is peeing ALOT on the meds..that sounded like what Isis did on prednisone..which is that same vet i saw in a emergency situation one night...poison toad incident lol...

i will ask and let ya know..

jsut thought to post it b/c i was thinking alot of people might be going through this..and it does sound and look crazy..

thank you for all the input..

 

[sharonL]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

i am going to ask them what the meds are..
i will ask and let ya know..)

Ky did you ever find out.  I must admit the curious side of me still thinks about this.....If dogs have severe asthma and I dont know about it after 13 years then I need to learn and take a class or something   :lol:  :lol:  :wink:

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

oh my gosh im so sorry i didnt post it lol...i have been running around l ike crazy..

its prednisone,atarax and a pill that he forgot the name of...

i was like WOW ...that doesnt even make sense...he actually made an appt on monday for his boxer and his brothers boxer, both...b/c hes now very concerned...the dogs are both lethargic and dont even really do anything anymore he said..they dont feel like playing..just lay around...

 

[sharonL]

Re: reverse sneeze,vet calls it asthma? experience with this

A trip to talk to someone new is a good thing.  I am not sure where the pred comes in because that does nothing for cough or sinus....and of course Atarax is an antihistamine used to relieve the symptoms of anxity and tension. It also relieves itching from allergic reactions and can be used as a sedative before and after general anesthesia. Atarax is not intended for long-term use. So that is why they are sleepy and blahhhh all the time....
Maybe they will get some new info when they go in!  I hope so because that dont sound right....but hey I could be wrong