I had to look it up cause it scared me but once I rubbed the throat area and held her so she'd rest and calm down... then kiwi was fine ... She had been playing for a while and was jumping around all excited which they said can trigger it...
just another thing to add to the list.... This is one thing I was not prepared for and about ran to the vet til I found info on what was happening...
I am going to mention it to the vet at her next visit and keep an eye on her as to see if when and what triggers an episode.. At first I thought she had eatten some fuzz....then again who knows.... but as most of the sites and online vet info said... this type of thing is common.
Life is stressful as a chi mama! I don't think I ever worried or stressed so much even after my own skin kids.... or maybe I've just forgotten LOL __________________ ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* Brenda and Kiwi
Reverse sneezing is pretty common and normal in appleheaded chis... my girls Rylie and Chloe have episodes of this sometimes... especially Rye. I've researched about it and have been told that it is a harmless condition and medical attention is not necessary. When my girls start to do this, I hold my fingers over their nostrils, and rub their throats. This stops the episode pretty quickly.
I found this information online for ya:
"Reverse sneezing is very common in small breeds of dogs, and in Chihuahuas. It is often confused with a collapsed trachea, while it can seem a little scary, it is actually harmless and not at all life threatening to the dog. Often times, the dog will usually have the head extended forward and stand still during the episode with elbows turned out and sometimes with the back arched. Below is a little information about reverse sneezing.
Dogs have a condition we call a 'reverse sneeze.' It gets its name because the dog rapidly pulls air into his nose, whereas in a 'regular' sneeze, the air is rapidly pushed out through the nose. If you witness a dog having a reverse sneeze it may seem alarming, but it is not a harmful condition, and there are no ill effects. The dog is completely normal before and after the episode.
During a reverse sneeze, the dog will make rapid and long inspirations, stand still, and extend his head. A loud snorting sound is produced, which may make you think the dog has something caught in his nose.
A reverse sneezing episode can last for several seconds to a minute.
Boots does it, even tho he is not an apple head. Binks only does it when he sees Boots doing it and starts to get all of the attention... smart little guy!!!
Brenda, Two of my chis have these episodes... Buster the longcoat and Cocoa.. Scared me badly till I knew what it was... I did run to the vet... Now when it happens I cover the nostrils and gently rub the throat while holding them... Poor Buster gets so scared, he tries his best to reach me when he's having an attack... Deb
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siggy by Chicoluver The wind of anger blows out the lamp of intelligence.
Right after we took Rylie home, she started doing this and we were so nervous at first! We went to the vet's weekly for her shots (since she was so tiny, they didn't want to do them all at once) so we asked while we were there. My vet even told me that chis will do it for attention They can learn to do it to get attention.
Yes my apple heads, Lucy and Coco, do that reverse sneezing all the time. Usually when they are all excited. I thought Coco had kennel cough when I first got her, so I can understand how alarmed you were with Kiwi!
Yup, Jelly Bean does this too. It's usually after she's had a drink, or got over excited. Dont worry too much about it honey, I think it scares us more than it does them!
Oh, and dont feel silly about your initial reaction, I would've been worried had you not taken any notice of it! We all have to learn at one stage or another!
Both my chis do this also. It is scarey but I just rub their throats and try and calm them. They seem to do it in front of company and it freaks people out. I guess not many other breeds do this cause people always tell me they have never heard a dog do that before.
The only other dog I've known who does it is my Weimaraner, Tara. When I first heard it I thought perhaps she had Asthma or something. But it is exactly the same as the noise Ellie makes, so I guess it's that.
Oh the first time I ever noticed a dog reverse sneezing I think that I was about to have a heart attack. LOL. It can happen for lots of simple and silly reasons, and all of my mom's dogs do it, along with my boyfriend's dogs. Once I figured out what it was, I didnt worry about it any more. I've never seen Chimi do it yet, but I'm sure it will happen sometime!
Dogs are unconditional LOVE!
They can learn to do it to get attention.
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