Although snoring is common physiological process, loud shrill snoring during sleep is a discovery for many dog owners. Most owners simply cannot believe that their little fragile Pusik or the noble refined Zhuzha can make sounds that make the walls tremble and vibrate, and indignant neighbors knock on the wall demanding to calm the scrawny peasant.
In addition to purely aesthetic inconvenience, your pet's snoring can be a sign pathological changes in the body or wrong conditions content. Let's figure out what is fraught with loud snoring.
When to be afraid
The first thing that should alert an attentive owner is snoring, which appeared suddenly. If your pet has never spoiled you with delightful nighttime roulades, and suddenly, for no reason at all, began to disturb your sleep at night, this is a sufficient reason to contact the veterinarian.
Many of these diseases pose a serious threat to the health of the animal, so you should not neglect such a symptom as a sudden onset of snoring. A timely visit to the doctor will help you recognize the disease on early stage or to make sure that there are no special reasons for concern.
When you don't need to be afraid
Having scared you well, we will tell you when snoring is considered a completely natural phenomenon that does not affect your pet's health in any way. The dog, whose well-being is not in danger, snores with early childhood. Sometimes the soundtrack is observed every night, sometimes it sounds from time to time - in any case, you observe this phenomenon. for a long time without adverse side effects.
Harmless snoring most often occurs under the influence external causes or due to the peculiarities of the physiology of the pet. Most often, the phenomenon is provoked by the following factors:
- Short nose. Short airways, combined with a long palate and soft larynx, are characteristic of brachycephalic dogs. Difficulty in the passage of air during inhalation causes unpleasant sounds during sleep, when the muscles are relaxed and prone to blockages.
- Relaxation of the muscles of the larynx. Similar symptom not uncommon when taking a variety of medical preparations- relaxants, analgesics or some tranquilizers. As a rule, after the end of the course of treatment, snoring disappears without a trace.
- Sleep in a certain position. Your four-legged friend's habit of sleeping on his back or with his nose buried in something can also cause sweet snoring. In order to get rid of discomfort, simply turn the dog over or put a roller under his head. By the way, check if your friend is comfortable in his cozy nest? Is there enough space to change position if desired and lie down with legs outstretched? If sleeping place does not cause any complaints, then you just got a dog that prefers non-traditional sleeping positions.
- Animals with large dewlap are also considered to be known snorers. Numerous folds in the neck can put pressure on the airways, making it difficult for air to flow to the lungs.
- . Alas, like their owners, dogs do not get younger with age, in parallel acquiring all sorts of health problems. If after thorough examination none serious pathologies was not revealed, most likely, snoring is explained by an age-related decrease in muscle tone, accompanied by a decrease in the patency of the upper respiratory tract.
- Hot, humid weather combined with increased physical activity can also cause snoring. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in connection with a trip to the country, where your pet runs and jumps freely. If there are no other symptoms indicative of an allergy, the matter is increased fatigue and high temperature environment.
- Entry of saliva into the nose. The structural features of the nasopharynx can lead to the fact that part of the saliva is not swallowed, but enters the upper respiratory tract. Most often, this does not cause any particular inconvenience to the dog, but loud gurgling snoring can cause it. If your pet suffers from this unpleasant disorder, try to keep his muzzle above body level during sleep.
How to deal with snoring
In order to give up on the problem, first of all, you need to conduct a thorough medical examination pet. The doctor did not reveal any disorders? Exhale with relief and try to get used to specific sounds. If it doesn't work, you can try one of the unconventional ways snoring common among dog owners:
- Quiet whistle. There is an opinion that a barely audible whistle can stop even the loudest night roulades. This old method, used for a similar human problem, is much more effective with dogs. Your dog's sensitive ear will immediately distinguish intriguing sounds, and your pet's sleep will be interrupted for a second, allowing him to stop snoring.
- Moisten the animal's neck area with cool water. This method is especially effective in the heat, helping to slightly reduce body temperature.
- Give your dog a small amount of roasted carrots before bed. They say it folk remedy significantly reduces the intensity of snoring.
- A few drops of olive or sea buckthorn oil in the dog's nose before going to bed will soften the airways, preventing snoring.
If no methods of dealing with the problem help, the only thing left for you is to put up with the night songs and enjoy the sweet snoring of your pet. In the end, these sounds once again remind you that the best and most beloved dog in the world is sniffing sweetly nearby, and this, without exaggeration, can be called real happiness.
About a quarter of all dogs regularly snore in their sleep. In pets at this time, the airways narrow slightly, the walls of the pharynx are in contact. Air currents, passing through such a "tunnel with obstacles", provoke vibrations and corresponding sounds.
Causes of snoring during sleep
A similar phenomenon is dangerous because breathing stops during snoring, and the brain feels a lack of oxygen. If the dog is overweight, a similar problem will haunt representatives of any breed.
Inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx also provoke specific sounds in a dream. Most often, inflammation is caused by colds and allergic reactions.
If the air in the room is excessively dry and musty, it is very smoky or there are some strong aromas (perfume, household chemicals), this can also negatively affect the pharyngeal mucosa. If snoring occurs suddenly, the owners should take a closer look at new items in the house. Allergies can be caused by a new air freshener, a new flowering plant in the room, or a new owner's cologne.
In addition, snoring can be caused by:
- Strong psycho-emotional stress and stress;
- Edema of the mucous membrane of the larynx and nasopharynx;
- Take muscle relaxants and analgesics;
- Congenital defects of the epiglottis;
- Tranquilizer injections.
Special problems of special dogs
Short-nosed dog breeds are more prone to snoring than other members of the friendly canine family. In fact, these dogs are constantly worried about breathing problems, and snoring is only one of the variations of this pathology.
The airways are too short. The most insignificant obstacles or blockages of the larynx are perceived extremely negatively. These breeds include Boston Terriers, American, English and french bulldogs, boxers, chow-chow, pekingese, japanese and english toy spaniels. Even powerful St. Bernards experience similar discomfort. But for these animals, snoring is considered the norm. It is impossible to remove it.
Apnea - a signal of danger
Apnea - sudden stop breathing in a dream, arising chaotically. The owner of the dog may notice how his sleeping pet freezes for a moment without breathing, and then begins to snore peacefully again.
This is short-term cessation of breathing. Such phenomena are dangerous because vitally important organs they don't get enough oxygen, which can lead to dangerous consequences.
Topical Tips: How to Help a Sleep Snoring Animal
To eliminate or reduce pet snoring, owners need to reconsider their household habits and adhere to hygiene rules more carefully:
- Do not smoke in the room where the dog sleeps;
- Do not get carried away with air fresheners, aerosols;
- It is unacceptable to store in the house paints and varnishes, solvents, gas cylinders and other items that emit bad smell and hazardous fumes;
- It is important for a pet to be in a favorable psychological environment;
- The dog should receive a balanced quality food. If the owner will treat his pet with adequate portions, he will be able to save the defender of the house from being overweight. Especially dangerous is excessive body fat in the region of the neck and chest;
- Clean, well ventilated space good night and four-fingered inhabitants, and their owners;
- It is necessary to walk the dog in places where there is no accumulation of flowering plants and mold. The park area away from busy roads is the best location for walking.
When to take action
If the dog does not belong to brachycephals, previously slept quietly and calmly, but suddenly began to snore heavily, it is necessary to turn Special attention to this nuance. The problem can go away as suddenly as it appears. Sometimes the owners do not have time to do anything, as their pet has already returned to its previous form (the allergen has eliminated itself, the inflammation of the nasopharynx has passed, the third-party object is in respiratory tract succeeded in extracting).
A dog that snores can make life miserable for some owners. Dog snoring, like any other pet, is considered by few to be cute and interesting, but it still remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Some dogs snore very early age and throughout their lives, but others begin to snore as they age or gain excess weight.
What is snoring?
Snoring is a low, rattling sound that accompanies breathing during sleep and is caused by partial obstruction of air movement through the soft palate and uvula at the back of the throat. This creates a vibration that causes the characteristic snoring sound. A dog can snore very quietly, barely audible, or very loudly, depending on the degree of obstruction and sleep phase.
Causes of snoring
There are many possible causes snoring, and sometimes it can be caused by a combination of several factors. The most common physical causes snore in dogs are:
- Weak throat muscles that cause it to partially close when the dog sleeps.
- Tight jaw muscles or malocclusion.
- Fat folds around the throat.
- Obstruction or blockage in the nasal passages.
- Retraction of the tongue in the throat, which partially obstructs the airways and leads to snoring.
- Sleep apnea - can lead to situations where the dog stops breathing altogether for short periods of time. When the dog starts the next breath, it may pass as if he is suddenly choking, which generates strong snoring sounds.
Determining the root cause of snoring is an important part of diagnosing and treating snoring. It will help determine if the dog needs treatment or is not cause for concern.
Brachycephalic dogs and breathing
It is important to note that virtually all brachycephalic dogs snore. These dogs are distinguished by very short muzzles, as, for example, in German boxers, pugs and many other breeds. Because these dogs have such short muzzles and a very short soft palate, this often results in snoring due to stenotic nostrils, an elongated soft palate, or everted laryngeal pouches. Two or even all three causes of snoring can often be found in many brachycephalic dogs.
However, the severity of snoring varies from case to case and rarely requires surgery. Some dogs breathe reasonably well despite snoring, but those dogs that have difficulty breathing may suffer from both snoring and shortness of breath during sleep. V severe cases veterinary intervention may be needed to correct the cause of the problem and ease the dog's breathing.
Other causes of snoring
If your dog is not a brachycephalic, it can be difficult to identify the cause of his snoring.
The most common cause of snoring in dogs (especially if snoring begins as the dog ages) is weight gain and decreased levels of physical activity. If the dog is overweight, this can lead to snoring, which is caused by airway obstruction and fat accumulation around the throat. Therefore, if you find that your dog has begun to snore or his snoring is getting worse and he is overweight, increasing the amount of physical activity which the dog should receive regularly. You will likely find that snoring goes away on its own as your dog's excess weight decreases as a result. suitable mode feeding or increasing her activity level.
If your dog, as you might think, holds its breath during sleep for ten seconds or more and does not breathe, and then makes a deep panting entry, then this may be the case. sleep apnea. This disorder can be very dangerous as it disrupts your dog's natural sleep patterns, so it's important to take him to the veterinarian.
Sometimes even healthy dogs may occasionally snore without any problems if they have a cough or some airway or mucosal obstruction. Such disorders most often resolve on their own and do not require veterinary care.
Other causes of snoring such as uneven jaws or weak muscles throats may be more difficult to diagnose, and may require some specific diagnostic tests.
Should I be concerned if my dog snores?
Snoring in many dogs is just a minor problem caused by a minor flaw in their anatomy. Therefore, a snoring dog can live quite happily without any negative health effects. However, if the snoring is very loud, especially with difficulty breathing, then the dog may need to be examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause of the disorder.
Owners of dogs of the brachycephalic type should definitely take the animal to the veterinarian before buying in order to identify any potential problems with breath.
Dog snoring - video
The dog snores when the throat muscles are completely relaxed. The contact of these muscles and their vibration from the air currents cause loud snoring in a dream.
Most dog owners turn a blind eye to this, although snoring can be a symptom of a serious illness and also cause sudden death dogs in a dream due to respiratory arrest. Others are seriously concerned about why the pet suddenly began to snore.
Snoring in dogs may be due to the breed, namely: the short structure of the muzzle. In this case, snoring is a natural genetic cause and does not require treatment.
Small dogs with a short muzzle and large (pekingese, chow chow, shih tzu boxer, bullmastiff, french and american bulldog) snoring since childhood. Representatives of breeds such as German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Great Dane, begin to snore at a more mature age. Snore large dog similar in range to human snoring and creates severe discomfort for owners and their neighbors. In such cases, you can use nose clips for snoring for animals. Such funds facilitate the process of breathing, increasing the degree of air permeability through the nasal passages.
There are a number of other important reasons
- For restless sleep or supine position.
Choose the most comfortable pillow for your dog comfortable sleep. Try to walk the animal shortly before a night's sleep.
- Medical treatment.
Some drugs cause a strong relaxation of the muscles of the nasopharynx, due to which the dog begins to snore.
- Allergic or colds.
Illnesses such as allergies and colds cause nasal passages to swell, making it difficult for a dog to breathe. Anything can cause an allergy: chemical components, food, flowering period. It is important to understand why and what your dog is allergic to and eliminate it.
- Passive smoking.
This is another common cause of snoring. Being with a smoking owner, the dog involuntarily inhales tobacco smoke, which can lead to various diseases lungs. Typically, swelling caused by allergic reaction or colds, can be removed with special aerosols, rinses and nasal drops.
- Foreign body.
Sometimes the cause of snoring can be a bone or other food, or a small toy stuck in the animal's throat. Signs of a foreign object are frequent sneezing and vomiting. Most often, the foreign body comes out on its own, but in some cases it is necessary to contact the veterinarian for bronchoscopy and fluoroscopy and subsequent removal of the object.
- Obesity.
Excess weight can cause bouts of snoring, which can later lead to asthma and heart failure. In order to avoid the appearance of excess weight, try to feed the animal at a strictly allotted time, in portions.
Combine correct mode nutrition with frequent walks and active training in the fresh air.
Can snoring be treated
In some cases, such as allergies, colds, excess weight, snoring is definitely amenable drug treatment. If snoring is due to an abnormal structure of the nasopharynx, then surgical intervention, which consists in the removal of excess muscle growths in the nasopharynx and palate plastics.
In no case should you resort to self-medication or the means that are used to treat snoring or other diseases in humans. This can lead to irreversible consequences for the health of the animal and even death. Always consult a veterinarian who will recommend best way solve the problem and, if necessary, conduct a course of treatment.
If the causes of snoring in a dog are due to the characteristics of the breed or age-related changes, you just have to accept the inevitability of snoring.
Remember that a dog is a very sensitive animal. Try to treat her sensitively and attentively, and she will answer you a hundredfold.
Dogs are quite emotional pets that can make a lot of sounds. They bark, squeal, grunt, growl, whine, howl ... In a dream, a dog can snore impressively, and when awake, grunt. The latter property is often associated with physiological feature animal, but sometimes occurs against the background of any disease. Therefore, if the dog grunts when breathing, it is worth taking your four-legged friend to the veterinarian, he will help find out the cause and solve the problem, if any.
Dogs with short muzzles are called brachycephalic - this is enough big group relate:
- pugs;
- bulldogs;
- Pekingese;
- griffins;
- sharpei;
- mastiffs;
- shih tzu;
- Lhasa Apso;
- Japanese chins;
- boxers;
- chihuahua;
- dogue de bordeaux;
- pomeranian spitz.
As you can see, among the listed breeds there are many popular ones, which is not surprising - thanks to the brachycephalic syndrome, dogs have large, expressive eyes and a cute, and sometimes funny, flattened muzzle.
However, such a peculiar appearance also has unpleasant feature- due to anatomical structure canine skull, the area of the nasal cavity is less than normal, so there is not enough space to fully cool the incoming air. As a result, all short-faced dogs sniff heavily and grunt while breathing.
Experts consider this phenomenon to be natural, not harming the animal and not threatening health. But it should be borne in mind that such dogs do not have enough cooling surfaces, so they are very difficult to tolerate heat and stuffiness. In this case, the pet will not only grunt, but choke on its own salivary fluid. Since the air cannot be cooled in time, there is a risk of developing heat stroke.
It is not uncommon for brachycephalic dogs to simply lose consciousness, fainting. This condition can last for a long time, if the animal is not helped, it can die from acute pulmonary insufficiency.
However, not all dogs with such a feature have such dangerous cases. For example, in some bulldogs, the tissue that covers upper sky, so developed that it is able to overlap the surface of the respiratory lumen.
Although it is desirable for owners to be aware of existing risks arising due to the anatomical structure of the pet's muzzle, but you should not constantly worry about this issue. Such favorites already puppy age they begin to grunt and snore heavily, to which the owner quickly gets used.
But with age-related changes in a dog, palatal tissue may fall off, which will lead to a violation of normal breathing. It is impossible to do without professional veterinary care. Required surgical intervention, in which excess tissue is removed - the dog begins to breathe normally, and can also get rid of snoring and grunting.
The same operation is recommended for people who snore heavily in their sleep. They have an apnea attack - a stoppage of motor movements, it can be so strong that a person can die during an unsuccessful rollover on his back at night.
There are no documented cases in dogs, but breathing problems can cause serious pathological processes in the heart muscle, lungs, blood vessels, which also cannot be called positive consequences.
Penetration of foreign objects into the respiratory system
Veterinary practice shows that this is the most common cause of strange breathing sounds in dogs. During walks, almost all dogs actively explore everything that surrounds them with their nose, and there is always a chance that they can inhale a blade of grass, a piece of paper or other debris.
This negatively affects the passage of air, and unusual sounds begin to appear in the breath - whistling, sniffing, grunting. But the danger lies not in them, but in the fact that the animal is not able to breathe normally.
How can the owner understand that something extraneous has entered the pet's respiratory tract?
- First of all, it is worth focusing on the sounds, especially if this has not been observed for the pet before.
- The dog is tormented paroxysmal cough up to and including vomiting.
- Similar signs appeared immediately after walking.
- The pet begins to wheeze, breathe heavily, grunting and holding its mouth open.
If you have certain medical or veterinary skills, you can help the dog yourself. You should take a flashlight and elongated tweezers, open the dog's mouth and examine it carefully, looking into the throat. If a large foreign object, then it will be visible already during a visual inspection.
To try to remove a foreign body, it is necessary that someone hold the animal, fixing it in a position convenient for the procedure, since it is unlikely that he will like such manipulation. Remove the object with tweezers very carefully so as not to damage the mucous membranes and not push it deep into. If the owner does not know how to do this, it is better to ask for professional help without making the situation worse.
Might be a tumor
Dogs can also develop oncological neoplasms in the body, including in the respiratory tract. In this case, the tumor acts as foreign body blocking the breath. V the following cases The pet needs a diagnostic examination:
- strange breathing sounds appear gradually, this can occur over several months and even years;
- when these symptoms increase, problems with respiratory processes, the dog often coughs;
- general state the dog worsens - the dog is lethargic, apathetic, not interested in surrounding events, refuses food;
- a runny nose occurs, in which bloody mucus and particles of destroyed tissue appear in the usual exudate.
These symptoms should alarm the dog owner and are a good reason to visit the veterinarian.
With an increase in the colony of worms, the breathing of a dog, especially a puppy, will worsen, since the circulation of air masses is defective. Again, the danger lies not in grunting or hissing, but in the fact that there have been cases when puppies died, literally choking. With progressive helminthic invasion, there is a risk that all offspring will die!
When the dog breathes, gurgling, wheezing sounds are heard, he begins to grunt, sniff, trying to push air into the lungs with irritated and inflamed walls. If helminthic invasion developed into a similar clinical picture, a doctor's consultation is required, as if the dog is delayed, pneumonia or inflammation of the bronchi in severe form will develop.
Tracheal collapse
One of the unpleasant pathological processes, characterized by sudden and unpredictable development. With tracheal collapse, the trachea begins to shrink, decreases in size, in some cases to such a size that it becomes completely obstructed. With a decrease in its clearance, the dog grunts, wheezes, wheezes and even “quacks”.
But such symptoms are far from funny, as the dog feels bad, suffocates, keeps his mouth constantly open. On examination, it can be found that its mucous membrane becomes cyanotic or plum-colored, which indicates severe oxygen deficiency. If this condition persists for some time (from several minutes, and sometimes hours), the dog may fall into a coma or, after being cured, it will be tormented by periodic seizures. 
procrastinate with medical care is not recommended, as if the condition worsens, the pet may need a tracheostomy, otherwise he will not have a chance to survive. In this case, the surgeon makes a neat incision in the walls of the trachea, after which he inserts a special tube into the resulting lumen. This procedure is called intubation, after which the animal is able to fully breathe and avoid the risk of suffocation.
But if the development of tracheal collapse is associated with any serious pathology, and the tracheal rings are severely damaged, the surgeon performs a more complex surgical intervention. During this operation, worn areas are replaced with implants made of synthetic materials. They will last a long time, and the dog will not experience difficulty breathing.
In the practice of foreign veterinarians, there are already several successfully performed operations to completely replace the damaged trachea with an artificial analogue. Such treatment is recommended for dogs in which the disease is caused by a strong hereditary predisposition or autoimmune pathology. In such situations, the replacement of individual rings is only a temporary measure, since the rest of one's own organ will still be attacked. immune system and will be destroyed.
Syndrome of paroxysmal or reverse breathing
This pathology is characteristic disorders occurring in dogs. During an attack, the dog may make the most different sounds grunting, cooing, gurgling, sniffling or wheezing. But such a condition is not dangerous for the animal itself, although it causes concern among the owners.
In some cases, the attack is accompanied by symptoms similar to suffocation, and the owners in a panic turn to the veterinary clinic, which, in fact, is not surprising. V given state in a pet, in addition to strange sounds, the following manifestations occur:
- the dog takes an unusual pose - his limbs are widely spaced, and his back arches inward;
- eyes bulging, turning red;
- the dog begins to actively shake its head from side to side, while its saliva flies in different directions.
With such a pronounced attack, a strongly drawn air stream can irritate the palate, provoking vomiting. All the time the animal continues to sniff, grunt, intensively drawing in air, and vomit flows into the lumens of the respiratory organs. This is a dangerous phenomenon that leads to the development aspiration pneumonia. Despite the fact that veterinary medicine is constantly developing, this disease in more than a third of cases leads to the death of the animal.
Video about why dogs grunt
Why Reverse Sneeze Attacks Occur
Experts have not yet been able to find out the exact cause of this pathological condition. But its occurrence is associated with a sharp paroxysmal spasm of the tissue. soft palate. Based on the fact that reverse sneezing in 93% of cases occurs in representatives of brachycephalic breeds, doctors believe that among the main disposing factors is heredity. Although is it possible to talk about a predisposition, if almost all dogs with a shortened muzzle suffer from this disorder?
Veterinarians advise owners not to panic if an attack lasts a few seconds and does not cause severe symptoms. But it is necessary to contact the clinic if the general condition of the pet during the reverse sneezing noticeably worsens. You can help your pet on the spot in the following ways:
- gently rub the nose;
- massage the surface of the throat;
- when the dog catches his breath, you should give him a drink of warm water and leave it alone.
You need to do everything calmly, without sudden movements and panic, you should not make the dog nervous. Usually experienced owners of brachycephalic dogs have experience with four-legged friend and are not lost if a similar situation arises. And beginners should get advice from an experienced breeder or veterinarian who will tell you when grunting is really alarming. He will also give advice on caring for such a specific pet. 
A grunting dog is a rather funny sight if it is a bulldog, pug or other dog with an original flattened muzzle, and when he does this without being distracted from everyday affairs. But such sounds can turn out to be a sign of illness, which means they are not an occasion for fun, but for turning to medical institution. It is worth paying more attention to the well-being of a four-legged friend and not ignoring such manifestations.
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