My dog ate cayenne pepper and is reverse sneezing. What should I do?

I had a patient that had managed to get a piece of carrot up into his nasopharyngeal area. After a week or more of reverse sneezing we did a nasal flush and found it. I have also seen nasal mites and cancer cause these signs. If he doesn’t improve soon then a nasal flush or rhinoscopy would be indicated. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Reverse sneezing is commonly caused by irritation to the back of the throat. In breeds like pugs with short noses there also tends to be excessive tissue in the back of the throats that causes irritation. You could talk to your vet and see if something like an antihistamine might be safe to try, although it may not help much. Some dogs that have major breathing issues related to brachycephalic airway disease, the syndrome seen in pugs and bulldogs that is related to malformation of the nose and airway, can benefit from surgery to trim some of the tissue of the soft palate.

Hello, poor Diego- reverse sneezing can be quite distressing for your dog. If its happening frequently its possible that he may have something irritating in his nose - something he inhaled? There is an over the counter nasal spray called neo synephrine which may help him. If he has blood or mucus discharge - take him to your vet.

Hi there and thanks for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Reverse sneezes are relatively common in dogs and are usually due to an allergen or sometimes can occur during periods of excitement. Reverse sneezes do not typically require medications to treat, unless an underlying allergy is suspected then an antihistamine may be prescribed by Nova's veterinarian. Many cold medications that are over the counter can be potentially toxic to dogs and should never be given unless specifically directed by Nova's veterinarian. It may be a good idea for Nova to see her primary care veterinarian to make sure what she is experiencing is just a reverse sneeze and not a symptom of something else, such as an upper respiratory infection. Thank you again for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm wondering if Daisy might be reverse sneezing when she's making this new noise. A reverse sneeze and a sneeze can have similar causes - anything that irritates the nose and throat including allergens, upper respiratory infections, nasal foreign material like pieces of grass or even parasites can all cause sneezing and reverse sneezing. I usually don't get too concerned about either one unless there is also nasal discharge or the sneezing/reverse sneezing is occuring frequently enough that it seems to be affecting the pet's ability to rest. If so I think that your best bet is to see a vet unfortunately.

Reverse sneezing refers to the reflex of bringing air into the body to remove irritants in the upper area that lies behind the nostrils. The most common causes for younger dogs include infections, the existence of a cleft palate, or bronchial infections. Another primary cause is the involuntary movement of the hairlike cilia that line the respiratory tract and act to remove foreign matter from the air before it reaches the lungs. This involuntary movement of the hair is medically termed ciliary dyskinesis. The most common causes for older dogs include nasal tumors and dental diseases. Other causes can be mucus irritation, nasal passage obstruction, inflammation, excess nasal discharge or secretion, pneumonia, chronic vomiting, and gastrointestinal disease. Under vaccinated or unvaccinated dogs are at a higher risk of developing infections, which may lead to consistent sneezing. Chronic dental disease can lead to both chronic sneezing and reverse sneezing. I recommend taking Tucker into your vet to see what is causing the reverse sneezing, and how best to treat it.

If he continues to do so it would be a good idea to get him checked. Reverse sneezing is usually meant to clear the nasal passages of irritants so if he can't clear what is bothering him it may mean he has something else going on that induces these sneezing episodes. Pay attention when he does it to see if there is something in common with each incident that may be causing or contributing to the reverse sneezing that you can pass along to your vet, even video it if you get the chance.