SYMPTOM
Reverse sneezing
The dog stands still, extends its neck, and produces a series of rapid, loud snorting inhalations through the nose, sometimes with the elbows held out to the sides; the episode typically lasts a few seconds to under a minute, and the dog appears entirely normal immediately afterwards.
Nasopharyngeal Irritation
Transient irritation from environmental triggers such as dust, pollen, household sprays, or excitement while playing or pulling on a lead can spasm the soft palate and pharynx, producing an isolated episode. This is the most common explanation for a single, brief bout and typically carries no underlying disease at all.
Brachycephalic Airway Conformation
Breeds with shortened skulls carry a proportionally elongated soft palate and compressed nasal passages, giving more tissue available to be irritated and trigger the reflex. Reverse sneezing is reported more frequently in these breeds and in dogs under around 15kg generally, though it can occur in any dog.
Nasal Mite Infestation
Pneumonyssoides caninum mites living within the nasal passages and sinuses cause chronic local irritation that can produce recurrent bouts over weeks to months, sometimes alongside nasal discharge or head shaking. This tends to present as a repeating pattern rather than a single event.
Nasal Foreign Body
A grass awn or other plant material drawn up into the caudal nasal passages can lodge and produce recurrent, sometimes one-sided, reverse sneezing that does not settle over the following days. This is particularly relevant after time spent in long grass, which in the UK is most common through summer.
Dental or Periodontal Disease
Infection around the roots of the upper canine or carnassial teeth can erode into or irritate the adjacent nasal floor, producing chronic reverse sneezing alongside other signs of oral disease such as odour or reluctance to chew on one side.
Post-Viral Nasal Inflammation
Residual inflammation and post-nasal drip following an upper respiratory infection within the kennel cough complex can trigger reverse sneezing bouts for a period after the primary illness has otherwise resolved.
Why timing matters
Early observation
A first or infrequent episode, especially in a young or excitable small-breed dog, most often reflects a passing irritant such as dust, pollen, or excitement with no lasting significance. Isolated bouts that resolve within a minute and leave the dog behaving entirely normally afterwards fit the classic, benign pattern most commonly described.
Later presentation
A pattern that has become more frequent, longer in duration, or consistently one-sided over the course of weeks suggests an ongoing local irritant - a lodged foreign body, nasal mites, or dental disease - rather than incidental environmental triggers. Episodes that begin to occur alongside nasal discharge or a change in appetite mark a departure from the isolated, self-limiting form.
Because the isolated benign form and the recurrent secondary form look identical in the moment, frequency and consistency over time, rather than the appearance of any single episode, is what separates the two. A dog having occasional bouts for years without other signs describes a very different trajectory to one whose episodes have escalated over a matter of weeks.
Conditions commonly associated
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) in Dogs
The elongated soft palate and narrowed airways characteristic of BOAS provide more tissue prone to triggering the reverse sneeze reflex, making affected breeds overrepresented.
Dental Disease in Dogs
Infection or inflammation around the roots of the upper teeth sits close to the nasal floor and can irritate it, producing chronic or recurrent reverse sneezing.
Periodontal Disease
Progressive gum and root disease around the upper arcade can erode toward the nasal cavity, generating localised irritation that presents as recurring bouts.
Kennel Cough in Dogs
Upper respiratory infection within this complex can inflame the nasopharynx, leaving a period of reverse sneezing that persists after the main illness settles.
Tracheal Collapse in Dogs
Paroxysmal respiratory episodes from a collapsing trachea can be visually confused with reverse sneezing, making it a relevant differential when describing an episode.
Aspergillosis (Nasal)
Chronic fungal infection of the nasal passages produces ongoing irritation that can manifest partly as recurrent reverse sneezing alongside nasal discharge.
Foreign Body Ingestion
Material caught in the back of the nasal passages or throat during swallowing can irritate the lining, triggering the rapid, spasmodic inhalations of a reverse sneeze as the body attempts to clear the irritant.
When to explore further
Isolated brief episodes in an excitable small-breed dog rarely need characterisation, but a marked increase in frequency, or episodes lasting noticeably longer than usual, shifts the pattern toward one worth documenting.
Reverse sneezing that is consistently one-sided, or accompanied by nasal discharge, bleeding, or facial swelling, points away from the typical benign pattern and toward a local structural cause.
A new onset in an older dog, particularly a longer-nosed breed, alongside reduced interest in food or reluctance to chew on one side, is a different picture to the classic transient irritant.
Confusion is common between reverse sneezing and other paroxysmal events such as tracheal collapse or a brief collapse episode, so a description or video capturing the dog's posture - standing, neck extended, fully alert - versus a collapse pattern is meaningfully informative.
Episodes that fail to resolve within a minute, or that are accompanied by laboured breathing between bouts rather than a return to normal, differ from the classic self-limiting pattern.
A video recorded on a phone during an episode is one of the most useful pieces of information an owner can gather, since it allows the pattern - bilateral versus one-sided, duration, posture - to be reviewed directly rather than described from memory. Noting how often episodes occur over a week or two, what seems to precede them, such as excitement, drinking, or a particular walk route, and whether nasal discharge or ordinary sneezing also occurs builds a timeline that adds useful context.
Last reviewed: 27 August 2026 · Dr Alastair Greenway MRCVS