I have almost 10 month old Lily and now new baby Daisy who is 10 weeks old today. Lily has just started in the last few weeks having these kind of episodes where she sounds like she is trying to clear her throat and maybe sneeze some. I thought maybe some mucus might be in that long throat of hers. She usually stops her walk or play and this goes on for maybe a full minute.

Most of the family is having some allergy or sinus stuff with our cooler than normal August in OK.

Do any of you experience this type of behavior with your whippets? Should I be concerned? We go tot he vet for shots next week.

Thanks for the advice, Beth

Hi Beth and Welcome!

I'm not a Vet, but my Page does the same thing once in a while. I was told it's 'reverse sneezing'. I usually tickle her throat where the underside of the neck meets the back of the jaw. This makes her swallow and will, most of the time, stop the sneezing. It's kinda like us getting sneezing attacks! No harm no foul. When you go for shots you could ask your vet just to make sure.

All three of mine do it and i've been told it's nothing but reverse sneezing. It seems to affect then when they have been sniffing in a new area or digging in the dirt or even having a nice run and play after they've been breathing hard.

My Matilda does that pretty often. I too, was told it was reverse sneezing. She always seems to do it in the middle of the night. She stands up to reposition herself and starts that. She does it almost every night. My vet said she was fine.

Reverse Sneezing - that is the perfect description of it because it sounds as if she is sucking in air instead of blowing out. Yes, the episode she had at night didn't go over well with my husband as she stood in the middle of the bed.

I will run it by the vet but it does seem as it happens more often when she is out on a walk sniffing everything.

Thanks for the info. Glad to know it isn't unheard of. That is why Whippet Talk is so wonderful! Beth

Zorro does this, too. Usually in the middle of the night when he's eating, which I thought was strange. Sounds like it's pretty common, even though nobody knows what the cause is.

Lance has done it on occasion. But not very often.

Oh my gosh, I was just coming on here today to inquire about this strange phenomenon! Magic has been doing it off and on the past 10 days or so and seems to match what you are all indicating - a reverse sneeze. At first, I thought he snorted something up his nose and it was lodged. However, after anywhere from 10-30 seconds, it's over.

I will also check with the vet the next time we make a call her way.

Thanks!

Gracie does it, too, on occasion. It does seem to help to shorten the episode if you lightly massage around the throat area.

i read about this in some of my dog books and i had to calm down an owner of a whippet that one day. our friend (he had two whippets) was so scared and told me that he just came from the vet. dillon (the male one) would have made this weird noise and he thought something is wrong with him. he jumped up, grabed dillon and went to the vet.

i had to laugh and i said, he just had something in his nose. a lint or something... dogs need to produce pressure and then push the thing in the nose with that airpressure out.

... how else would they get rid of that thing (crum or lint or hair) in the nose when they don't feel like they'd have to sneeze, when they just feel there is something, but it doesn't tickle?! ... he said, you know, i actually could have phoned you first, because thats excactly what the vet told me. thats something so usual for dogs, it's nothing wrong with it...

lilly does this once in a while too. for some seconds...