Archive for June 9th, 2008

Ask the French Bulldog Veterinarian - Frenchie makes honking noise (reverse sneezing?)

admin June 9th, 2008

Our frenchie, Kabuki, had brachiocephalic surgery last year. They cut her soft palate, and opened up her nostrils to help her breath better.

A couple times she has had these attacks, where she would start choking- almost like gasping for air. we get so panicked because we are unsure of what is really going on. We think she has something stuck in her throat and she can’t get a good breath in.

My fiance would stick his fingers down her throat and she would gag and that would usually do the trick. either dislodge or open up her airway. We are really unsure of what else we could do.

Has anyone else encountered this with their frenchie? We are so afraid that she might have this attack when no one is around. If anyone has any experience with this please let us know.

Dr. Lori writes -
It sounds like Kabuki is doing what we call a “reverse sneeze“. It is fairly common in frenchies and brachycephalic breeds in general and the exact cause is unknown. It sounds and looks awful, but actually causes no long term damage or danger.

I usually cover the dog’s nostrils to force them to open their mouth and clear the airway. Rubbing the throat often helps as well. If it continues or worsens, please do check with your veterinarian, as sometimes their may be an underlying cause or irritation that sets it off (i.e. allergies).

Here is a great video from YouTube of a dog reverse sneezing -



Lori Hunt, DVM
French Bulldogs d’Assisi

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Ask the French Bulldog Veterinarian - Heat exhaustion in Frenchie after walking

lorihuntdvm June 9th, 2008

I have a 6 month old, neutered, male French bulldog.

I love to take walks and Taz is very high energy so along with many games of fetch in the backyard, I try to take Taz for a walk everyday.

Today is about 80 degrees out. I would say we walked about 1 mile when Taz was panting and lay down in the grass flat on his belly refusing to walk anymore even when bribed with treats. I waited for him to relax a bit but he still would not walked and looked as though he might be in distress (breathing very heavily) and finally had to call someone to drive us home after trying to carry him some of the way back.

My question is how far can a Frenchie walk?

I know that they do not like very long walks or very hot days but “very long” and “very hot” means different things to different people. I thought exercise is good for all dogs. A 2 mile walk in 80 degree weather seems like it should be ok for a dog.

What signs should I look for to know that Taz has had enough because panting is normal right?

Dr. Lori writes –

Oh dear - A frenchie is not meant to walk 2 miles in 80 degrees!!! Heck, they hardly want to walk around the block in 60 degree weather! It sounds to me like you were VERY lucky that you did lose your Taz to heat exhaustion today!

I personally only allow my dogs out for short periods on such hot days and never encourage any exercise if teh weather is over 70 degrees. There have been instances of frenchies overheating and dying in much cooler temperatures.

Please do not subject Taz to this type of exercise again unless it is very cool outside. It is way too big of a risk! You need to pay closer attention to his breathing as he may have been giving you signs he couldn’t handle it. And obviously when he laid down he was suffering and overheated and was telling you he couldn’t take the combination of heat and exercise.

Since frenchies are brachycephalic dogs, they are not capable of cooling down like other breeds. This is not a sporting dog, and even they shouldn’t be working out like that is 80+ degrees. I am sorry if this sounds harsh, but it’s a matter of life and death with a frenchie!

Dr. Lori Hunt, DVM

(editor’s note: Here’s an article on over heating in French Bulldogs, including emergency measures and a kit to keep on hand - http://www.frenchbulldogz.org/learn/heatstroke.htm )

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