Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 7/15/2008

Question
Hi;  Not long after I purchased my Pekingese puppy she started with a problem which the vet called reverse sneezing. When she spay her she checked her palate and found it was to short.  Yesterday she had a real bad spell and today she was very tired and keep trying to clear her nose and had white stuff coming out of her nose.  The vet put her on a pill but said there was nothing that could be done for a short palate.  Do you know of anything that can help this problem, is there any operation that works on this?  Thank you, Fern

Answer
Fern -

Unfortunately, there is not much you do for a short palate.  There may be procedure that can help to make your pet comfortable, but that would most likely be done in only extreme cases.  Those are the problems that are associated with the breed.  Reverse sneezing often sound much worse that it actually is;  there is no damage caused except it probably causes a certain degree of stress to the pet until she gets used to it and understands that the episode will pass.  

If she has a discharge from her nose, then there is a possibility that the reverse sneezing is made worse by allergy or some sort if irritation to the nose and throat. Consult your vet regarding the discharge as it may be the cause of her frequent sneezing.

This can be quite frustrating, but in my experience, most animals do get used to the reverse sneezing episodes.  They will usually quiet down for a few seconds, but once the sneezing stops, they will return to normal.  

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM