The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

A Case of Somethin-itis

By Kathryn Socie, 6-23-08

	A late night road trip! Photo credit: Dan Socie

It starts the same every time.

“Maybe you can answer this question…”

Once I got tagged as an obsessive-compulsive information starved geek with a coupla years of veterinary experience, I became the go-to for copious amounts of garden variety critter information.  You know, avoid the veterinary bill ask the dog-crazed freak.  The panic stricken call at the oddest hours and I find myself engaged in entirely too many discussions, too often, using the complete suite of adjectives available to describe poop. There is something wholly satisfying about sharing my pedestrian wisdom, however.  Like, in my most recent session, when a friend traveling through town started in with:

“Before it happens again and we totally freak and fork over $500 to the emergency vet, should we worry when...”

She went on to describe the symptoms: heavy, labored, rapid breathing, sounding a bit like something might be trapped in her little mutt’s throat.  Her partner described a honking noise and then they both did their best impression of their beloved pooch in the midst of an episode.  I raised my hand for the demo to cease; I knew exactly what was wrong with their dog.

“Your dog has occasional bouts of snorflitis,” I explained.

Otherwise known as a reverse sneeze, snorflitis is caused by a foreign substance on the epiglottis, allergies, or a dog’s attempt to hock a loogie.  It is characterized by rapid, forced inhalation through the nose, accompanied by frightening snorting and gagging.  It sounds and looks ugly, a bit like a dog is dying or about to die from lack of oxygen, but it’s nothing to drop so much as a dime on.

Believe it.

Working in emergency veterinary medicine, I watched countless people squeal into the parking lot at 3 a.m. barely stopping their rig before flying through the door only to realize they were holding a perfectly healthy, happy, waggily dog in their arms.  Nobody liked standing in front of a stranger in their pajamas in the wee hours while said stranger suggested they were wigging over nothing but a common, fleeting, case of snorfilitis. I’d wake the vet up for their benefit, but always felt terrible watching their slippered feet drag out the door, clutching the evidence of their very expensive anxiety attack in their hand. 

At least one golden retriever was thrilled with the whole experience.  A run, a car ride, an hour spent having copious amounts of attention and biscuits lavished upon him—a dog could only dream! The force of his hind end swishing his plush tail back and forth practically generated a nor-easterly.  That was until his owner decided: “Since we’re here can you at least trim his nails and express his anal glands?” He had to get even with me somehow.

In the end, they always take it out on the messenger. 

Not sure what the heck a reverse sneeze is, but thinking maybe thats what you flipped out about just a few days ago?  Check out a video of an Italian Greyhound doing a highly dramatic demonstration.

Disclaimer:  Typically reverse sneezing episodes are short-lived and cease on their own, but be sure to consult your veterinarian if you are concerned and especially when frequent and prolonged bouts occur.

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