Achoo! Why Is My Dog Sneezing So Much? Here's How to Know if It's Allergies—or Something Else

Shelby Deering
·10 min read
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It can be pretty cute when your dog sneezes—as long as it only happens once in a while. But when your pup sneezes on repeat and is clearly in discomfort, it’s time to take action and talk to your veterinarian. Want to know what's behind your dog's excessive sneezing—and how to care for them? Read on for info and advice from top veterinarians.

Why Is My Dog Sneezing So Much?

Here are the top reasons why your dog might be sneezing so much:

1. Inhalant allergens

Just like humans, dogs can be affected by airborne irritants, otherwise known as inhalant allergens, whether they’re in the house or spending time outside. In addition to outdoor seasonal allergens, says Dr. Stephanie Sheen, DVM, a veterinarian at Fuzzy Pet Health, indoor irritants can include powders, dust, smoke, strong fragrances, and aerosol sprays.

“Because dogs have such a powerful sense of smell, they may be more sensitive to these types of particles,” she says. “When the allergens come in contact with the mucous membranes in the nose, they can create inflammation, which leads to sneezing."

There's a pretty simple way to tell if your dog's sneezing is caused by inhalant allergens, Dr. Sheen says. "Dogs who experience this type of inflammation typically have only clear discharge when sneezing and otherwise look and feel normally—eating and drinking normally and normally active.” 

2. Upper Respiratory Infections

Dr. Ori Eizenberg, DVM, veterinarian, certified veterinary acupuncturist and co-owner of Wags Animal Hospital, Miami, says that a number of respiratory infections, such as canine distemper, can bring on sneezing.

Upper respiratory infections caused by viruses or bacteria tend to be highly contagious among dogs, as Dr. Sheen points out.

"Dogs with up-to-date vaccines for upper respiratory conditions like distemper experience fewer infections, as the vaccines are highly effective,” Dr. Sheen says. “While viral infections may cause clear discharge, we get more concerned when discharge changes to yellow or green, as that is more suggestive of bacterial involvement, especially if accompanied by systemic signs of illness.”

Related: Can Dogs Get Coronavirus? And Can They Spread It? The Experts Break it Down For Us

3. Nasal Mites

As creepy-crawly as it sounds, dogs can be prone to something called nasal mites, which can irritate the nose enough to cause sneezing fits.

Mites are “a rare cause of sneezing," Dr. Sheen says. “The presence of the mites can be quite irritating and cause inflammation. A veterinarian can sometimes visually observe the mites, and medications to treat this are very effective. You may note sneezing with clear discharge, and due to the level of irritation, may see pawing at the nose/face or rubbing on things.”

4. Fungal Infections

Dr. Eizenberg says that fungal agents most commonly picked up from the soil, such as cryptococcus, aspergillus and penicillium, can induce sneezing in dogs. But as Dr. Sheen says, these infections are only prevalent in certain areas of the country and are somewhat rare.

“They would more commonly affect long-nosed breeds, such as Collies or Borzoi, or hunting dogs, who spend a lot of time with their nose in the dirt,” Dr. Sheen explains. “Fungal infections are more likely to create swellings or other deformations of the nasal cavity, as they can be quite invasive. Frequent sneezing, thick yellow/green discharge or bloody discharge, ulcerations around the nose, swellings of the muzzle, pain and systemic signs of illness, such as low energy and fever, may be noted in this more serious condition.”

5. Dental Disease

Did you know that dental disease in dogs can instigate sneezing? Dr. Eizenberg says that abscesses or oronasal fistulas—abnormal openings in the gums between the mouth and nasal cavity—can sometimes cause irritation in the dog's snout. 

"When the infection reaches the nose, it may cause sneezing from the inflammation, and you can see discharge or swelling there as well," Dr. Sheen says. “If your pet begins sneezing and has other signs of dental disease, such as thick tartar, an abnormal smell from the mouth or difficulty eating, a visit to the veterinarian can help identify if this is the cause.”

Related: Do's and Don'ts for a Fun and Worry-Free Day at the Dog Park

6. Reverse Sneezing

Have you ever seen your dog “reverse sneeze”? It’s something that can happen with all dogs but tends to be more common among small pups.

“Reverse sneezing is a very common, and thankfully less severe, cause of sneezing in dogs," Dr. Sheen explains. "The actual mechanism is not completely understood, but it seems to be a local reaction to environmental irritation of the nose and pharynx—the back of the throat. This type of sneezing typically occurs in multiple bouts of sneezes, which can actually sound very scary. It may have a sucking/honking type of noise or can appear like your pet is gasping for breath during the episode." This type of sneeze is characterized by a distinctive sound and posture (YouTube has some good video examples), but most dogs that experience it typically act and feel normally otherwise.

7. Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common upper respiratory conditions afflicting dogs. It's the result of chronic inflammation of the nose, causing a breakdown of the mucus membranes. This can result in chronic sneezing, Dr. Sheen says. In some rhinitis cases, the sneezing may improve with treatment, but it does have the capability to recur. This might mean that your veterinarian should do further testing to determine if rhinitis is the underlying cause. Additionally, while rhinitis is typically caused by airborne allergens, some dogs experience a nonallergic form of rhinitis, which can be brought on by a cold or changes in the weather. 

8. Foreign Material

Since your dog’s sniffer is often on the ground or in brush, it’s fairly common for foreign material to enter their nose, which can trigger sneezing. A certain type of grass awn called a foxtail can become dangerously lodged in the nose, “due to its barbed ends” which can “make them difficult to remove and may travel some distance into the tissues,” Dr. Sheen says.

She adds, “This type of issue may show discharge from only one nostril and can be quite irritating to the dog, so you may see pawing at that side of the face. Sneezing and pawing after outdoor activities, especially during those times of year and locations [where] grass lawns are prevalent, puts foreign material higher on our list of possible causes for sneezing and nasal discharge.”

Related: Dog-Lovers Paradise: Survey Finds the Best 5 Cities for Pups and Their Owners

9. Cancer

“In older pets especially, certain types of cancers in the nasal cavity can occur, such as nasal adenocarcinoma,” Dr. Sheen says. Thankfully, nasal tumors are rare accounting for just 1 percent of total cancers in dogs, she says. Sneezing alone may be the first indication of a tumor until the cancer grows larger and starts to deform the nose or create discharge. An X-ray or CT scan can help your veterinarian rule this potentially serious issue out and is typically recommended if the issue has not responded to conventional treatment for other more common causes of sneezing, Dr. Sheen says.

When Should I Be Concerned?

“Owners should not be worried about a single episode of sneezing,” says Dr. Eizenberg, since, in humans, who hasn’t had the occasional irritant or allergic attack? The same can be true of dogs.

However, if the sneezing appears to be chronic, or if you note things like a facial deformity, continuous discharge of any color, prolonged lethargy, a reduced appetite or difficulty breathing, veterinary care should be sought as soon as possible, as Dr. Eizenberg stresses.

What Are Some Medications That Can Provide Relief?

There are several treatments that can be used for sneezing, depending on the cause. Dr. Sheen says that antihistamines, such as Benadryl, can help with sneezing caused by environmental irritants as well as for some milder allergic reactions. 

Your veterinarian can prescribe medications for an infection based on the type your dog is diagnosed with. But there are also things that you can do to help your pup feel better at home. “For viral infections, supportive care, such as ensuring good-quality food, rest and immune supplements to boost the dog’s innate immune system response are helpful,” Dr. Sheen says. 

For fungal and bacterial infections, antifungals or antibiotics may be necessary to clear the issue. Steroids are potent anti-inflammatories that may be used for chronic rhinitis inflammation, although they should be used cautiously long-term as they can have significant side effects.

Cancer treatments and prognosis depend on the type of cancer present and would be based on imaging and sampling. Dental abscesses will need both antibiotics as well as an anesthetized dental procedure to remove the affected teeth and repair the connection with the nasal cavity. For foreign material, the pet would need to be sedated or anesthetized for your veterinarian to remove the material manually. Nasal mite infestations can be treated with certain types of antiparasitic medications, such as certain flea and tick products.”

One specific medication option, depending on the cause of your dog’s sneezing and if your veterinarian recommends it, is Prednisolone Transdermal Gel. Dr. Sheen explains that this is a topical steroid medication that is intended to be absorbed systemically, or regularly. Dr. Eizenberg adds that at certain doses, it can act as an anti-inflammatory medication.

“Since some pets won’t accept it in a pill or liquid, modern advances have allowed us to administer it in a transdermal gel formulation,” Dr. Eizenberg says. “This is a unique technology that allows the drug to slowly absorb through the skin. When used, it is often given on the inside part of the ear. One should be very careful to use steroids without the guidance of a veterinarian. While very effective at reducing inflammation, steroids can also suppress the immune system and cause a myriad of side effects if used inappropriately.”

There are also some non-medication care options you can discuss with your veterinarian. Dr. Sheen says that if your pup’s sneezing is mild and they’re otherwise feeling and breathing normally, you can increase the humidity in the air of your home, accomplished with a cool mist humidifier in the area where your dog spends most of their time, or do some steam therapy, which involves placing the dog in a bathroom with you when you shower to breathe in warm, moist air.

Dr. Sheen additionally recommends reducing environmental irritants such as smoke, dust and aerosol sprays, calling this “a great first step for pet parents to take at home.”

How Can a Veterinarian Help?

“Veterinarians are best equipped to help figure out the problem,” Dr. Eizenberg says. “They can perform a physical examination to evaluate for fever, which may point in the direction of an infectious cause, facial asymmetry, pain and abnormalities in air flow. They can perform diagnostics such as rhinoscopy, where a camera is used to assess the front and hind portions of the nasal cavity. They can perform advanced imaging such as CT or MRI scans that can help to further evaluate where the problem may be arising from. Ultimately, they can prescribe the proper treatment, be it medications such as antibiotics, antifungals or anti-inflammatory, or perform surgery to remove foreign material or obtain a tissue sample for cancer and fungal testing. Getting to the root of the cause is key as each agent is treated differently. Veterinarians are the ones to get the job done.”

Next up, discover the 50 best homemade dog treats.

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