Watch the latest Alpha Paw episodes with host Bernie Zilio as she tackles your pet parent questions, along with our board of pet experts. In this episode, she discusses the reasons why our furry family members sneeze. Dr. Ross joins Bernie in this episode.  You can watch the video and read the transcript below!

The Transcript

Bernie Zilio
Does your dog sneeze all the time? Does that mean there’s something wrong? Does he or she have allergies? Let’s bark about it…

Welcome back to Alpha Paw, your destination for everything dog. I’m Bernie Zilio and I’m on a mission to answer every doggone question you’ve ever had about your fur babies and today we are talking about why your pup sneezes! And fortunately, we have an expert with us here today, Dr. Ross.

Dr. Ross is a seasoned veterinary professional and pet care expert. He earned his doctorate degree in veterinary medicine at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and his work has been featured in several industry-leading publications, including the Journal of Veterinary Surgery. He is our go-to vet for everything we want and needs to know about our fur babies, so welcome back to Alpha Paw Dr. Ross…

Why Do Dogs Sneeze?

When your dog sneezes, it can be simultaneously adorable but also a little alarming if it’s happening a lot. So Dr. Ross, I want to talk about why our dogs may be sneezing and what we should do about…so let’s get into some of the most common reasons, the first is a nasal irritant…break that down.

Dr. Ross
First of all, dog sneezing is completely normal. If it’s happening constantly, you should talk to your vet. But it’s considered normal…One of the most common causes of dog sneezing is some kind of nasal irritant. This could include perfumes, fragrances, pollen, or dust. These substances may irritate the nose and cause your dog to sneeze.

The Reasons Why Dogs Sneeze

Bernie Zilio
The next one is something that we’ve talked about on the show before…allergies…sounds like that’s very similar to humans…what should we look out for?

Dr. Ross
The majority of the time your dog is probably allergic to some type of tree or grass pollen. Occasionally, dogs can be allergic to dust mites in your house. Dogs with allergies may be more prone to recurrent skin infections and ear infections.

Bernie Zilio
And sometimes it’s possible that they just have a foreign body stuck up in there…how do we know if that’s the case?

Dr. Ross
If your dog is pawing at their nose, this may be a sign that the dog sneezing is caused by a foreign body in the nose. Foxtails, plant material, and other substances can get stuck in your dog’s nose and cause excessive sneezing.

Bernie Zilio
And then lastly, one of the most common reasons for sneezing is PLAY SNEEZING! You have to tell me all about this, I’m dying…

Playful Sneezing

Dr. Ross
Many dogs sneeze when they get excited or play. If the sneeze is only occurring during play or excitement, then your dog is probably just having fun!.

Bernie Zilio
SO FRICKIN CUTE!! So those are the most common reasons why your dog is sneezing…Dr. Ross what are some less common reasons we should look out for?

Dr. Ross
Sometimes it could be signs of nasal cancer, nasal mites, infections, kennel cough. But again, those are super rare and usually accompanied a lot of sneezing and other symptoms.

Bernie Zilio
Did you find this video helpful? Give us a thumbs up! Again I’m Bernie Zilio and this is Alpha Paw, be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss a single doggone episode and we’ll see you next time!