Why has my dog started sneezing all of a sudden?

My 9 year toy poodle shizu mix, 8 lbs started sneezing frequently mainly in the morning. He has also started snorting? and gasping, seems to have a hard time catching his breath especially when he is excited. He has had a reversed sneeze condition occasionally, but this seems like a different problem. He also has a clearing the throat sounding cough, which seems pretty mild, but has never had it before. He is up to date on all vaccines

  • Vetinfo

    By: Kara McCarty El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    It sounds like your pup has quite a bit of nasal congestion making it difficult for him to breathe. Nasal congestion in a dog can be due to nasal irritation which can be caused by an irritating smell, viral infections, a foreign body in the nose like a piece of grass, a tooth root abscess, increased tearing due to an eye infection or irritation, chronic sinus damage or infections or a polyp or mass in the nose. The cough may be due to post nasal drip from whatever is causing his nasal congestion.

    The only thing you can try at home is Benadryl (diphenhydramine only, the combination products have medication which can make dogs very sick) at 1mg per pound or 1/2 of a 25mg tablet orally for a 10 to 12 pound dog two to three times daily. Antihistamines can cause hyperactivity or sleepiness. However allergies in dogs rarely cause sneezing. They usually cause itchy skin so I suspect something else is going on here.

    Because this has been going on for a while I would recommend that your dog see his veterinarian for an examination, bloodwork and radiographs of his chest, neck and sinuses/nose. The radiographs of his nose and sinuses will probably have to be done under anesthesia so at that time they can also scope his nose and pharynx (back of nose and throat) and clean and check his teeth to find a reason for and relieve his congestion.

     

More Questions on Allergies

  • Dog grass allergy question

    My dog is a nine year old brindle basset hound boxer. She has been to the vet and prescribed allergy medicine because they saw that she was allergic to grass and has been licking her paws. But the meds are expensive and they make her very tired. Can I give her people allergy medicine in low doses and will it help the licking of the paws?

  • What is the best dog food for a small dog with food allergies that is prone to bladder crystals and stones?

    My 4 year old shih tzu just had surgery to remove bladder stones and crystals. She is allergic to beef, carrots, turkey, sweet potatoes and wheat. The vet gave her Science Diet UD, which I'm not too impressed with at all. What would you suggest as a nutritional dry dog food for her?

  • Can a dog have a allergic reaction when his food has been changed

    ok so my red nose pitt bull has all kinds of sores on his head,side of lips beind his ears inside his ears, under his arm pits,chin, neck etc he keeps scratching his back looks like welts of some sort kind of like bruises. hair loss in the spots he keeps scratching. so he had this last year when i tried to change his puppy food to dog food i think he a had an allergic reaction to it so i changed him back to puppy chow and took him to vet they did all kinds of skin test, like scrap the bald spots on him, they found nothing. so he is still on the puppy chow what should i do. pls help thanks

  • Why is my dog snoring and snorting?

    Nasal snorting/snoring in Dachshound-has episodes like allergy attack in humans.

  • Can you give dogs OTC antihistimines and if so how much

    My 4 yr old golden/lab mix is doing reverse sneezing. She has been diagnosed w/ allergies in the past. I understand I can give her OTC antihistimines but it's Sat and no vet available so I'd like to know what kind and how much? She weighs about 80 lbs.

  • Reverse Sneeze question

    I have a 13 year old corgi mix who is very active and in good health (barring arthritis in her hip). She's always done the "reverse sneeze", usually about once a week or so. Recently, she's begun reverse sneezing several times a day, some severe, some just for a few seconds. We haven't changed anything around the house that would trigger allergies. Is this just a part of her getting older? Thanks,Liz (& Binkey)

  • Is vomiting a dog allergy symptom?

    I have a 2 year old GOlden Retriever- Yellow Lab mix. I have recently bought a new rug. A few days after I put the rug down, she began to vomit on it, a total of three times in three days, always on the rug. For this reason, as to not stain the rug, I rolled it up for two weeks. During the two weeks she didn't throw up at all. However, tonight, I unrolled the rug and immediately, only about an hour after, she vomited. Could the vomiting be caused by the rug?

  • How to keep my dog from chewing himself raw, is it skin allergies?

    I think my dog has a skin disorder. I use Frontline plus & vaccuum regularly. He hahot spots on his inner front legs & paws. What can I do to keep him from making himself covered in scabs?

  • How to find out what my dog is allergic to

    What are some good ways to try to figure out what he is allergic to? My 1 year old all white pitbull has bumps all over his back due to allergies. I need to know what steps to take to figure out what he is allergic to so that the bumps will go away. If i need to switch his food, what is a good brand to try? and how long does it usually take to notice a change?

  • My dog has licking and biting himself could he have allergies

    My dog has licking and biting himself alot, he also has what looks like dandruff when I scratch his back....could he have allergies I have also been reading on-line about possible problems.....I have also noticed a light green goo dripping from his penis(he is fixed) and he has three what looks like bites on his inner thigh. he does have a few spots where he has lost hair. I feel like I am being a hypercondriac but I am a fist time dog owner and am not sure what iswrong with him.

  • My dogs eyes are puffy, her lips are swollen, rash on her ears

    my dog has bumps,mouth swellin,eyes puffy i have a question. my dog likes to go under the storage room in the backyard. when I came home , I noticed her eyes where puffy, her lips where swollen and she had a rash on her ears. I think she got stung by something that she is allergic of. I gave her...

  • My Yellow Lab dog is breaking out on his underside

    Yellow Lab with breaking out on underside every 3 mo. Is it allergy or yeast infection, she scratches until infection sets in. has been on antibiotic and steroids but it keeps coming back. What do I need to do?

  • Can I give my dog benadryl for sinus and allergy?

    He is having allergies and I dont have regular benadryl is it ok to give him this. he is 26lbs.

  • How much cipro should I give my dog for allergies

    how much cipro should i give my 30 lb pit i have looked up for a few days now what my blue pit might have and it seems to narrow down to contact allergies from the grass how much cipro should i give him

  • Are these symptoms of dog allergies?

    My boxer is three years old and I have been dealing with this since she was a year old. Her feet smell like Fritos; I have her on a grain-free food and she is still licking her feet. Her paws are red underneath and in between the web area and; the fur is also gone. I have tried so many medications like bacteria meds and it did not work. Anti-itch meds also did not work. A food trial from the vet made it worse bathing her more often. The area gets clean but the problem is still there.

  • My dog keeps sneezing, anything I can do to help

    we have just recently adopted a 5 year old mini dachshound from the kennel she keeps sneezing..we took her to the vet yesterday and he said that she was ok as long as she dosent have stuff coming from her nose... today she is sneezing worse sounds stuffy and i have noticed her breathing from her mouth... the stuff coming from her nose is clear .. is there anything i can do or get to help her, i have noticed she isnt sneezing when she is asleep..shes had all her shots, HW negitative, weight 10lbs

  • My dog who has had problems with allergies

    Cushings or Addisons and the cause and Recovery I have a 2 year old shih a poo who has had problems with allergies since about 6 months old. She had been given steroid injections 3 times since then and has taken predisone for a short period of time. I had switched her to a California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato food and hypo allergenic treats and she seemed to do fine for the last 6 months. The of course we had a flare up and i couldn't get it under control so she had another steroid injection 2 weeks ago. She then started with some shak

  • Can vets test dogs for certain allergies

    Can vets test dogs for certain allergies or do you have to do trial and error with diet? Cooper our 5 year old yellow lab has been suffering for about 2 years now. He spends a good time during the day licking his paws and shaking his head. We constantly clean his ears and have had him prescribed ottomax. The vet has recommended changing his diet which we have 3 times. first- Duck and potato, then vegetarian and now herring, rice and potato. His ears have improved but the licking and scratching is far worse. Is there a test that can be done? We could all use a good nights sleep!

  • Are there any long term effects if my dog uses cephalexin?

    My dog suffers from bad allergies and has been on cephalexin daily for over a year and I was told she would be on it forever. Are there any effects for being on this drug for so long?

  • Could a urine soaked bed give a dog the sneezes?

    A week ago my boyfriend and I tried to get a new addition to our home, sadly the chihuahua that we chose I ended up being highly allergic to. Before we figured this out the little snot peed all over my yorkie-poo's bed and I just discovered this last night when I moved it. So that I could make my bed. My dog Skooter has been sneezing a lot for 4 days now which is very odd, could the urine soaked bed be to blame?

  • My dog came out of the kennels last week and is sneezing a lot.

    my dog came out of the kennels last week and is sneezing a lot. He is sneezing and licking his nose, but there is no discharge just a bit wetter than usual. Do you think he needs an antibiotic? or something else?

  • My dog had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine

    my dog had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine. the vet gave her what he said was a "mass" dose of steroids. She then produced milk for 3 weeks and she was due to go into season on 08/26. she has not done so yet. Can a "mass" dose effect her cycle?

  • What is acceptable to give a dog during a food test and what is not?

    What is acceptable to give a dog during a food test and what is not? Hello. I have a two year old Yorkie that has allergies . Constant itching (back legs mostly). I am going to try to rule out food as the cause and am starting to give him only Natural Balance sweet potato and venison food. I am wondering if ad what treats would not effect this trial. I'm thinking that bones would be okay but I am not sure. Please let me know what is acceptable to give to my poor little Yotkie and what is not. Thank you so much for your help!

  • Does my dog have allergies to dust?

    Everytime my dog goes outside to play in my backyard (which is nothing but dirt) she scratches at her eyes and they appear to be puffy and watery.

  • What are the side effects of apo prednisone 5mg for my dog?

    My dog has been prescribed apo prednisone for a skin allergy. She received a steroid injection and now these pills are to be taken 2 pills for for 4 days then 1 till finished, there are 25 pills. I heard from another dog owner that prednisone use caused diabetes in their dog, can this happen? is this a side effect? Thank you in advance for your reply.

  • Hydroxyzine frequency for a dog

    What is the dose and frequency of Hydroxyzine to treat allergic pruritis in a 65 pound dog?I believe it is 50mg twice a day but I wanted to be sure.

  • What can I do for dog allergies?

    My 8 year old springer spaniel has been sneezing in reverse for a week now; he also seems to be congested. I took my dog to the vet and was told that he has allergies. I have used saline to moisten his sinuses. Can I give him Children's Benadryl to see if that helps with the congestion and sneezing?

  • What to do for dog allergies?

    I have a 10 year old Wire Hair Terrier suffering from food allergies (skin irritation on paws, underarms, pimples/dry spots on the back and belly). How can I isolate the source /cause of her food allergy without resorting to expensive tests?

  • How long will it take my dog to get over food allergies symptoms?

    My rhodesian ridgeback broke out in an itchy rash including hotspots under his arms and legs after feeding a dog food that had corn meal as a main ingredient. I have been feeding him dog food with no grain in it for about a month but he keeps getting new rash areas. How long before he stops developing these symptoms?

  • Could my dog have allergies?

    my 2 year old terrier woke up with nasal congestion (no discharge) and raspy breathing, but breathing is not labored. He usually whines at me to go out, but he is not vocalizing, or rather, it comes out raspy. He is not really interested in eating, mostly sleeping or following me around the house. He was perfectly fine the day before, could it be allergies?

  • What are common allergies for dogs and what can we do to help?

    Our dog has itchy skin, red spots, and loss of hair on hind legs and inner legs.

  • Dog sneezing with discharge from eye

    My 13 week old beagle/boarder collie sneezes a lot and has green/yellow discharge from her right and is it blood shot. Her right eye has regular drainage and the eye looks good. what can I do to help her with her allergies?

  • Is my dog allergic to something?

    My dog is agitated and twitchy and keeps licking its nose and biting around her tail area. Is this allergies? She was fine last night but this morning appears to be uncomfortable. Will not stop licking her nose. She may need to have her anal glands expressed but we are concerned with the licking.

  • What dose of benadryl can I give my dog for her allergies?

    My dog has itchy ears. What dose of benadryl or other allergy medication can I give her?? She does not have ear inffections, but does tend to get them because of her allergies. She is about 85lbs.

  • Dog allergies to pine needles?

    I have a german shepard dog. All year long he has open sores on his paws we have taken him to the vet and they said it could be an allergy to some kind of plant, and that's the only plant that stays all year long.

  • See all questions in Allergies

Please do not use our site to attempt to diagnose or treat your pet. Your veterinarian is the best source of health advice for an individual pet.

Please do use our site to become better informed about the medical problems your pet may have. We will do our best to ensure that information presented is accurate and up-to-date. The most current information will be at the top of each page. Remember that veterinarians often disagree about the best treatments for pets. There are often several perfectly acceptable ways to treat the same condition. Just ask a lot of questions!

For all emergency situations, please contact your local Emergency Pet Clinic or on-call Veterinarian. Answers are not provided in real time. We can not guarantee an answer to every question, nor can we provide timely responses to urgent questions in many instances.