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Expert: - 5/23/2010


Question
I have a 2 year old rottie/boxer mix. She is about 70 lbs. She is current on all of her shots. I have noticed over the last year that she snores when she sleeps, and it has gotten progressively worse over the past 3 months or so. Also, sometimes she sounds as if she is having a hard time breathing (but not always). Her breathing sounds labored at times, and other times she sounds as if she has inhaled something and is trying to hack it up, but there is nothing there. I wasn't sure if this is something normal for larger dogs, or if it may be serious and I should take her to the vet?

Answer
Well if she inherited the short nasal passages of the boxer then she will have issues with breathing just like they do.

Combine that with the large lung capacity of a rotty and you will have a dog whose nose might not keep up with her body.

If she isn't on heartworm prevention you need to get her tested for that and make sure she stays on the prevention all year long.

The choking, hacking and such is not really normal so I would take her in and have the vet give her a very thorough respiratory exam.

Then he/she can do some xrays and then get her started on some medication to help clear that up.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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