Mary Allen
Achoo! This sound is not unusual during the cold season – even for dogs. When your dog sneezes, there can be several reasons.
If your dog only sneezes once or twice in between, that’s perfectly normal, especially if he otherwise looks perfectly healthy. For example, dogs sneeze because foreign bodies or irritants enter their muzzles.
Sneezing is also a natural defense mechanism in dogs by which foreign bodies are flushed out of the body. The same goes for substances that cause allergies, such as grass or pollen. Sneezing can even indicate a food allergy.
Another reason your dog might sneeze is because of ticks. They can be transmitted by other dogs by contact with their muzzle and, in addition to sneezing, can also cause nasal discharge. However, this rarely causes a dog to sneeze.
Allergies, Infections, Agitation: Why Your Dog Might Sneeze
In addition, dogs sneeze due to viral, bacterial, or fungal infections, as well as dental problems or swelling in the nose. Sometimes sneezing is also a form of calming your dog down, much like licking his own face or yawning. Other causes of sneezing:
- Excitation
- Insect bites
- Play or socialize with other dogs
As you can see, there can be many reasons for your dog’s sneezing. Therefore, you should pay attention to situations in which your dog has to sneeze. If necessary, you can also keep some sort of diary about it to keep track of possible patterns – this way you can find out why your dog is sneezing and how you can eliminate triggers as best you can.
If your dog sneezes unusually often, has sneezing attacks, or otherwise behaves differently, you should definitely check with your veterinarian. Then behind this could be, for example, the canine flu or a cold. It is often accompanied by other symptoms such as cough, loss of appetite, or lethargy.