We refer here to repeated sneezes, not just those sporadic ones that happen from time to time. While these repeated spasms can be normal body reflexes that have nothing wrong with them, you have to be attentive to certain special situations.

Let us then begin to explore the world of a dog sneezing to learn how to detect when it may be a symptom of a disease.

My dog sneezes a lot. Should I worry?

In principle, sneezing is nothing more than a reflex of the body and is completely normal. It is a spasmodic-type reaction, totally involuntary that consists of expelling air explosively through the nose and mouth.

The cause, in general, is some irritation of the nasal mucosa. Therefore, it is always important to be aware of an episode of sneezing. As a general rule, we must tell you that a healthy dog does not sneeze repeatedly. So, if yours does, it’s the first warning sign.

The main key to getting these episodes interpreted is to look at the duration and cause. If your dog sneezes many times, but in a single series and doesn’t repeat it later, it’s probably because of something he smelled and not much else. For example, if you’ve seen it near a plant, a flower or the soil you’ve recently washed with a chemical.

Now, if your dog sneezes many times together and these situations are repeated in the day, you must be very attentive. Especially if you see blood or mucus in his nose. In these cases, they are usually indications of some other pathology.

Why do dogs sneeze?

A dog sneezing is normal and the dog can be sneezing for a variety of reasons. However, it should be noted that they are much less frequent than in humans. This is due to the fact that, in us, they can originate in environmental causes that we usually face, such as allergies, rhinitis, etc.

Dogs do not sneeze frequently and do not sneeze because of allergies or colds. In general allergies in dogs are manifested through the skin, very different than in humans. However, there are several causes that can cause a dog to sneeze a lot and we will see below.

Causes of sneezing in dogs

Sneezing in dogs can occur for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at the most frequent ones.

Strangers prowling your nose.

Foreign bodies can, many times, enter the nose of the dog for various reasons, especially when outdoors, but can also happen indoors. When this happens, the organism will try to defend itself and generate reflex sneezes until the annoying stranger disappears.

If your dog has been outdoors smelling or has run a long time out, it may be that some foreign body is lodged in his nose and frequent sneezing only means the need to expel him. In these cases, you should make sure that they stop after a couple of times and that the dog does not continue to show discomfort. A dog sneezing can also alone be caused by discomfort.

If you notice that he continues to sneeze, scratches his nose, has some kind of swelling or even bleeding, it may not be able to remove the discomfort on its own. Many times, the veterinarian is the one who must perform the extraction. That is why a prompt visit is advisable and will aid you in figuring out why a dog is sneezing.

The famous “mites”

You’ve probably heard of these microorganisms. They are very, very small arachnids that inhabit both terrestrial and aquatic environments. The most commonly known are those living in household dust.

These small intruders can reach the dog’s nose and lodge there, causing sneezing. They can even generate secretions and even blood. Your dog is exposed to mites, for example, when it comes in contact with the nose of another infected dog or when digging the earth.

If this is the case, your trusted professional will be able to determine it with only a sample of mucus seen under a microscope.

Can a dog have an infection? If so, what types of infections are there?

Aspergillosis
It is very rare (practically impossible) for a dog to sneeze from a cold or upper respiratory infection. But, there are some very particular fungi, the “aspergillus” that generate an infection known as aspergillosis that causes sneezing in dogs.

This infection can only be contracted by direct contact with the fungus that usually lives among piles of straw or grass cut, also in fertilizers or any decaying vegetation.

Dental infections

Some teeth of dogs (the third premolar, to be more precise), has its roots neighboring the nostrils. Therefore, it is possible that an infection of this tooth or a nearby one, generates sneezing or even nasal secretions. Small dogs have this happen every so often.

This is one of the reasons why it is so important to prevent these diseases by frequently caring for and brushing the teeth of your beloved partner.

In both cases, as in any infection, it is important to go to the vet. Surely an indication of antibiotics may be the solution. Remember that in these treatments probiotics can be an excellent complement.

Irritants can also cause a dog to sneeze

Irritants

Have you gone from going on the subway and that a very perfumed lady comes up to you and gives you many, many, desire to sneeze? Tell me you do… We all do. And not only with perfumes, but with cleaning articles, deodorants or even in front of the smoke when a person is smoking near us. This can also be one of the reasons that you’re dealing with a dog sneezing.

Well, dogs have exactly the same thing. That’s why they can sneeze like us. But in these cases, you should verify that it’s just a series of sneezes at the time you’re in contact with the irritant.

If they are repeated over time, the cause must be different. Unless the irritant has permanence, such as a floor cleaner, for example.

This is why special cosmetics for dogs are so important. Above all, those frequently used as dog shampoos. They do not include irritating fragrances that may bother them.  

Special case: Brachycephalic breeds

Branch… What? Even if you don’t know the word, you probably know those funny and nice flat-nosed races like the Pekingese and the Bulldog. These are the brachiocephalic races.

These particular dogs (also some cats of similar characteristics) have their nasal passages very short or compressed. This makes them more sensitive to exposure to irritants. They may even sneeze at an upper respiratory infection, which is very rare in dogs.

Nasal Tumors

Some breeds of dogs with long noses, such as a collie or greyhound, may have nasal tumors caused, according to research, by contact with smoke and other environmental aggressors.

In general, it is very difficult to diagnose these types of tumors. Although they do not usually metastasize, they can be quite invasive and obstruct the nasal passages, causing sneezing and chronic secretions.

Sometimes when owners say, “My dog has mucus and sneezes a lot,” and no apparent reason is found, the cause may be a tumor. So it’s important that if it happens to your dog, discuss it with your trusted professional.

Is your dog overly excited?

Excessive emotion

The last cause of a dog sneezing that we will treat, is much nicer than the previous ones. It’s about those dogs, especially the small breed, that when they get very excited, sneeze… Yes, sneeze!

In these cases, nothing to worry about, they do it for happiness and, although they can be repeated, they only manifest themselves in punctual situations of extreme joy.

Reverse sneeze

Dogs, unlike humans, have another kind of sneeze, the inverse sneeze. Instead of expelling air, they bring it in. The reasons for this reflex are usually the same, something that bothers or obstructs the nostrils.

In these cases, you must be calm because it is normal in dogs, but it is important to be attentive, as in normal sneezing, if it is repeated frequently.

What does a dog sneezing mean?

As we have seen, sneezing can be something eventual and without any harm to the dog. But there are cases where they are a symptom of more complex problems. That is why any repeated episode of sneezing should be observed and controlled.

Now, there are certain specific alarm factors that you should pay special attention to. In any of the following situations, we advise you to act in one way only, visiting your vet for a professional diagnosis:

1. My dog sneezes a lot and often.
2. A runny nose has been plaguing my dog for weeks.
3. My dog’s nose has bled.

Conclusion

We began this article with the doubt that many dog owners said: “My dog won’t stop sneezing. Is it bad? What should I do?”. We hope that the information we presented above assisted you in figuring out the root cause of a dog sneezing. Whether it’s your dog or a close family members’ dog, you’re now going into the situation more informed.

Sporadic sneezing (normal or inverse) is not a cause for concern. But repeated and frequent sneezes are. In general, they are warning us that our dog may suffer from some of the diseases we are talking about.

Therefore, it is recommended to take a day to observe your dog and, if it repeats episodes, visit the veterinarian who will be able to diagnose the problem and offer you a suitable solution for each situation.

If you’ve found our article on a dog sneezing informational & helpful, then feel free to check out our animals section!

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French Bulldogs are the defacto favorite, associated with high, aristocratic, LA culture they can be a bit expensive, that is because they’re a bit of a status symbol, many celebrities have carried them in their bags all day long with them, and being that they’re so quiet and peaceful, it’s not much of a problem. They’re rather smart dogs and understand the difference between play and danger more acutely than normal breeds. French Bulldogs start around $1k and can go upwards of 10-100k depending on the coat attributes, ETC. I’ve seen half a million dollar french bulldogs, such as 2 Chainz’ French Bulldog, Yappy.

Australian Shepard’s name is a bit misleading, and maybe that’s why they’re a bit underrepresented in the urban dog community, but this awesome, friendly dog is not only loyal and smart, bred in the US to do field/farm work, much like a collie, it’s quiet when told to be so unless it’s alerting it’s owners to imminent danger. They’re quite the breed with a lot of energy and personality, with a mild temperament.

A fairly popular quiet, and hairless dog breed would be the ever-popular Japanese Shih Tzu. Although they’ve certainly seen a decline in popularity due to the spike of Jack Russel Terrier/Poodle mixes that look very similar to Shih Tzus, the Asiatic personality and obedient nature of their genus are forever, they’ve been with humans for over a thousand years, so they know when to be quiet. Very good companion dogs. This is because they know how to live with people over thousands of years, traditionally Japanese royalty, but they’re fine with being at your house too

Another very popular quiet dog breed in the modern age would be the Shiba Inu, quite stoic little creatures, they’re known for the meme of their face, they look a lot like a big teddy bear, so many people put “memes” to show astonishment as the dogs always look slightly amazed. They’re very “cool” and one the best quiet dogs, although if you make them angry they can shriek and some people find it to be rather creepy, it’s just their nature. They’re a Japanese breed like Shih Tzus, at an average of 23 pounds for a male dog, 17 pounds for a female Shiba Inu. They can live up to 16 years. Some of their best characteristics are their personality, they certainly have had an evolution with humans, so they know how to act around humans, hence their quietness.

An Irish Setter is a hunting dog, but they’re extremely obedient. They’re also considered one of best quiet dogs you can own. They don’t bark unless they need to, they’re fairly powerful dogs, weighing in at 70 pounds for a male, but they’re fairly docile dogs unless their owners command otherwise or their owners are threatened. They’re considered very austere and regal breeds, they have very human-like long hair that’s quite elegant, and can be groomed to extreme degrees. They’re extremely agreeable with people.

The Basenji can be considered the most “extreme” quiet dog, as they almost never make a noise, besides when they make their characteristic yodel. They’re quite chill in temperament and love people and can make odd little yelp/yodel noises to make themselves known when necessary, but their temperament is quite mild, making for a perfect companion like a cat in a sense. They’re quite adorable aswell with their perky ears. They’re a very mid-sized breed, around 23 pounds for both sexes of the dog, and only 16 inches tall on average. They’re considered a bit rare, so if you want one it might be expensive or a bit of an excursion.

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