# Need help. Breathing problems



## NalaBear (Feb 23, 2013)

I am looking for those who can make suggestions or have a similar issue, so I can help my best friend. She is a 4-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier. Her name is Nala, and she weighs on average between 60 and 65 pounds. She has seen a veterinarian recently, and it turns out she is healthy. Her veterinarian was unable to tell me what causes her breathing problem though. 
Nala is fine during the day for the most part, but at night she has a horrible time breathing. Every time she takes air in and it sounds as though she can't get any air. Her gasps worry me to death. Especially, when I wake up in the middle of the night to her gasping. I know her allergies, and what it looks like when she has a horrible reaction and I know this couldn't be an allergic reaction. Could she be having an asthma attack? Can dogs have an asthma attack? Your responses are appreciated.








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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

Like this? My boy has sleep apnea you can see it around 30 seconds to 50 seconds he stops breathing.

He lost 6 lbs. he was 62 here. Now he snores lightly but Doesn't stop breathing anymore. If it bothers or worries you I would out her on a diet and see of losing a few pounds helps.

If this isn't what your taking about. My apologies. 




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## NalaBear (Feb 23, 2013)

I am not sure it has anything to do with her weight. When she weighs about 55 pounds, she starts to look sickly. Her ribs start popping out. Right now she doesn't show rib unless she stretches.
For the video, that isn't what Nala sounds like and she is fully awake when the episodes start. I get so flustered and worried that I haven't taken a video of it yet. I am like a mother running in circles screaming, "what do I do, what do I do". Thank you for trying to help. I really appreciate it.
I can can say that it is similar to an asthma attack or getting the wind knocked out of you. Her rib cage sometimes won't move but you can hear her attempting to take a breath in. I really hope this description helps. >~<

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## mjstk (Feb 24, 2013)

I would get a second opinion. The vet should do at least a set of chest x-rays to check her heart and lungs, and a full oral exam (making sure they check the soft pallete). They may also want to do skull x-rays to see if there is a visible growth in the nasal passages or sinus cavity.


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

kinda like snorting? and gasping?
sounds like she's having pharyngeal spasms. also called "reverse sneezing". which is a stupid nickname for the condition.
my mom has a shih tzu that has them all the time. frequent episodes are usually caused by deformation of the soft palate which is common in breeds with short muzzles.
my boy has experienced this on a couple occasions. once after devouring a bowl of food. and once just out of the blue. could be caused by dust or pollen. you can help by massaging the throat and nose area. fresh air can also help. i started using an air purifier for my own purposes. but i think it could also help prevent the spasms.
also, if she is freaking out, you could use your other hand to pet and apply pressure to her body. this helps them to calm down which helps the spasms pass quicker.
good luck.


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## NalaBear (Feb 23, 2013)

JoKealoha, thank you for your post! I read more websites on pharyngeal after seeing your post. I am relieved to say that this seems to fit Nala's symptoms. I can't express how excited I am that this isn't something life threatening, and that you helped me in being able to help my friend to the best of my abilities. She responded nicely to your suggestion of massaging her. The spasms have shortened, and it feels like they don't last as long as they did before. I can't thank you enough 

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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

you're very welcome. i'm really glad it helped.
with my mom's dog, he would kinda freak out and look super scared. but after we started the technique, he learned that massaging his nose and muzzle was helping him. so when he felt a spasm starting he would come looking for someone to help him.
you should teach that technique to everyone you live with. or anyone that helps take care of her. so she doesn't make it worse by freaking.
the key is to keep her calm. i actually think that's the most effective part of the technique. let me know if you find any other info that is effective.


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## mjstk (Feb 24, 2013)

Glad to hear that the massage helps, but I would still have her checked out by another vet. In many cases the "reverse sneeze" is caused by a collapsing trachea. While not usually life threatening, it can make surgical procedures more difficult. 

Your dog would also benefit from being walked on a harness instead of a collar to prevent pressure on an already weak trachea.


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## NalaBear (Feb 23, 2013)

Mjstk, I will schedule another appointment soon. She is walked with a petco black harness that has a cut out heart where everything connects to. It definitely is better than a choker collar that the pound recommended. Lol thank you to both of you.

One other thing that helps calm her down is saying "it's okay". She has never been on to do commands with treats. The only thing that works with her, is praising her. Something's I think she is another human-being that can understand me XD

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## hollycaliri (Jul 3, 2018)

we have a 2 year old pitbull, Jupiter, aka Bumble. (because...bumbles bounce!) JoKealoha's description was so apt, very reassuring to hear that from someone else. a near perfect fit for something Bumble experiences often enough to be worrisome - snort / reverse sneeze.

he doesn't seem to have trouble breathing, throat/lungs seem fine, but airflow through his nose & sinuses seems significantly restricted when he has these episodes.

we've always thought it seems like he has something stuck up his nose! in particular it happens when he eats something dry/dusty, like a milkbone. almost as if he's inhaling at the same time he's chewing, and inhales some of it right into his sinuses...where it gets stuck and is an irritant.

we've also been wondering, given his awesomely giant head, if pitbulls have larger sinus cavities and a propensity for stuff to get stuck in there. he just loves to eat used tissues (despite our efforts to get them into a secure trashcan quickly), as an example.

he's been having the snortsneeze a ton the last couple of weeks, at least once a day sometimes more, to the point where i was about to take him to the vet. this morning we found a pile that looks like it was thrown up - a couple of kleenex and a paper towel, each wadded up, soaked, yellow/bile colored, along with several whole almonds.

no _food_ though, nothing that definitively would have come from the stomach. the kleenex arguably could have been in his tummy for awhile, indigestible and too big to pass, and eventually regurgitated. but the whole almonds?! that was just bizarre. the last time he had whole almonds, as far as we know was about two weeks ago. if they'd been in his tummy all this time, they would have been digested by now.

so i wonder...is it possible that mess was stuck in his palette or sinuses...all this time?!

lol typing these wild theories makes me feel like a crazy person.  but i bet i'm in good company with other concerned pit parents!

any insight you have would be very welcome.


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