My dog has been sniffing a lot in the past few days since coming back from the Kennels, should I be concerned. He seems a little out of sorts, but still eating and drinking plenty? He is a shih tzu and is 1.5yrs old and fully vacinated, has heartworm and flea medicine monthly.
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Shih Tzu Gender: Male Age: 1.5yrs old Name of Dog: Trevor Already Tried: nothing
Hello, and thanks for writing in.
Is he sniffing anything in particular, or just sniffing around more than normal?
Thanks,
Dr. Dave
no like snuffling making a noise out of his nose or mouth, like we sniff when we have a cold.
Thanks for your reply.
There are a few possible causes for this, including early symptoms of a respiratory infection (even with vaccines being current), nasal irritation, nasal foreign material, allergies, to name a few. I would not be too concerned about this, unless you start to see nasal discharge, he becomes lethargic, has lack of appetite, or has additional abnormal symptoms (coughing, sneezing, abnormal breathing, etc.) Also, if the snuffling does not go away after several days, then it would be worth going to your veterinarian for an exam, just to see if there is more going on that needs to be addressed.
I hope this helps.
A few times he has got out of breath as short nosed dogs sometimes do, but at least twice a day since Thu. which is not common for him.
It's also possible that he could be having what is called a "reverse sneeze", which is a spasm in the back of the throat that can be caused by many things (irritation, allergies, mites, etc.) But, it's hard to say for certain without actually examining him. I would watch him closely, and if he becomes short of breath again, you may not want to wait to get him examined, just to play it safe. In the meantime, you may want to keep his activity somewhat restricted, as exertion can make problems like this worse.
Let me know if I can help further.
Thank you for your help, I will see how he is in a couple of days and take him to his vet if he hasn't improved. Just was worried that it could be kennel cough with him just being to the kennels, even though they are very strict, very clean and thorough and all animals have to be totally up-to-date with vets care.
You're welcome - glad to be here to help out. Keep a close eye on him, and get him looked at if the problem persists or worsens in the next couple days.
Take care,
Experience: 18 years small animal general and emergency practice