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My 5 yr. old lhasa has spells of snorting as if his ...

Sent to Pet Experts February 26, 2006 9:11 p.m.

My 5 yr. old lhasa has spells of snorting as if his breathing is out of sync. My vet said short nosed dogs often have this problem. If I hold my hand over his nostrils & mouth for a few seconds to stop him from breathing, he will be ok. But I worry about when I am not with him and he has one of these spells. Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Will it affect his health eventually?

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Age: 5; Male

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February 26, 2006 9:22 p.m. (11 minutes and 27 seconds later)

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It sounds like what we call a reverse sneeze.
It is caused by having excess tissue in the back of the throat. It gets caught up when in normal activity causing the snorting.
Your dog will be ok while you are gone. Sometimes this snorting can seem like it goes on for a long time, but other than covering his nostrils there isn't much you can do to stop it.
If it is really concerning, you could see a surgical specialist who may be able to remove the excess tissue, but this may not help.
It is good you are concerned.
But he will be ok and live a long life with this bothersome problem.

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