About Snoring Problems

Did you think that only humans could suffer from snoring? This is an issue that presents also in animals and our dogs are not immune to it.  The snoring sound is caused in both animals and humans by an obstruction in the air passage, which doesn’t help air flow freely during sleep.

But snoring is not always a harmless condition, sometimes it can be a sign of an underlying cause, so as soon as we notice chronic snoring in our dog, we must seek the help of a veterinarian.

Let’s talk about the specific causes of an air passage obstruction and snoring.

Allergy. Your dog may have developed an allergy that has affected the tissues in the throat.  Many times our dogs have to deal with allergy problems and we might not even notice.  In this case the tissues in the throat area are inflamed so they difficult the flow of air when the muscles are relaxed during sleep.

Excess weight. Just like in humans, excess weight is a common cause of snoring in dogs. The reason is very simple: there is more fat in the throat area, making the air passage smaller than normal.  The solution in this case is pretty obvious: get rid of your dog’s excess weight. A little weight loss can go a long way solving snoring problems in dogs.

Face Shape of Your Dog. Researchers have found out that the general shape of your dog’s face plays an important role in the development of snoring.  According to these studies, dogs with pushed in faces (brachycephalics) have higher risk of developing snoring problems. These dogs develop narrow nostrils an elongated soft palate, and a narrowed windpipe. This problem can be corrected by a minor surgery, but this will depend on the veterinary’s opinion.

Congestion. Mucus can cause congestion in the dogs, triggering the dreadful snoring sound while they sleep.  This mucus also acts as an air passage blocker, so we must get rid of it if we want our dog to breathe normally again. Congestion must be treated with the help of the vet.

As you can see there are many causes of snoring problems in dogs.  We must stay vigilant on these type of behaviors and act quickly to avoid complications and discard any serious underlying issue.