Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 2/23/2011

Question
When I first became the owner of my then 5-month old pitbull puppy, his breathing was "weak." In other words, he kind of wheezed, like if he had alot of mucous. Now that he's over a year old, it hasn't gone away and he also snorts like a pig a lot.

Some people have told me that this is normal for a pitbull and other large breed dogs but I can't help but worry because he also shakes his head alot (may something be wrong with his ears?).

So is snorting a lot normal? Is there anything I can do to help my dog not snort and breathe normally?

Answer
Snorting is not normal, but it may indicate a narrowed part of the breathing apparatus.  It could be the nasal passages or it could be a long soft palate getting in the way.  Deeper in the larynx, there may be everted saccules blocking the trachea.  YOur vet would need to check the puppy out for you to be sure.