Sleeping with a pet can be a great joy for many – the relief you feel with your pet snuggling in the blanket with you, tugging on it, or rolling in it. But there is a big event you may land up with a pet that snores, which can be a huge turn-off. Humans also snore due to sleep deficiency or breathing issues like sleep apnea. Therefore, it is natural to worry about your dog’s snores, as like humans – dogs too need to be provided with treatment to cure snoring as it can be a sign of some illness or health hazard. In some cases, the snoring can be perfectly normal, but as a responsible pet parent, you should always look for symptoms and contact the vet whenever necessary. Here is reason why does my dog snore and tips to prevent it.
Is it Normal for Dogs to Snore?
Before we understand if the snoring of a dog is considered to be expected, we need to know what snoring is. Snoring happens when the air movement between the nasal passage is disrupted and results in noise. Because of the disruption caused by the free movement of air, a vibration is created, and resistive noise erupts. This noise can be a low grunt or a harsh sound coming from your pet’s mouth and nose.
You can consider it every day in a few cases if the noise created while snoring by your dog is low and continues only for a short duration when it is sleeping. On the off chance you start noticing that the snoring is becoming harsher and continues throughout the night – it may be time for you to worry and get your dog to visit a vet immediately. This may block your pet’s nasal passage, or it may also have some throat infection. Such kinds of ailments need to be looked into on an urgent basis.
Why Does My Dog Snore?
There can be a multitude of reasons behind why your dog is snoring. Some may be because of their breed or the way it sleeps, and some may be because of some underlying medical condition that needs immediate attention. We have jotted down a few on our list so that you can refer to them and match the symptoms with your dog’s condition.
#1 Breed
If you have a dog with a flat face, most commonly known as the ”brachycephalic” breed, snoring will happen because of its breed. Some examples of dog breeds that snore are a pug, bulldog, Pekinese, Shih Tzu, Lhasa, Boston terriers, boxer, chow chow, and more. Having a flat face means having a short nose, but the size of the palate or the fleshy part between the nose and throat remains the same for every dog. Hence, these dogs are more prone to snoring because of the bits of palate placed between the nose and throat area.
Another reason for the snoring in these breeds can be the presence of smaller nostrils. The nostrils find a natural resistance towards drawing the air in and cause a low vibrational noise. Therefore, snoring is more common in these breeds than you can expect, but that does not mean that it has become routine. Always make sure that they still need to check it with the vet to clear the blockages present in the air passage despite the breed.
#2 Sleeping Position
Ever wondered why does my dog snore so loud? This is common for both humans and animals – in case your dog loves to sleep sprawled on its back with its face facing upwards. It’s natural for it to snore loudly. The way a dog chooses to sleep can significantly affect its snoring pattern. When a dog is lying on its back while sleeping, the area between the nasal passage and throat may gets block because of the tongue that lies backward. And because of the resistance created by it, the dog will start snoring. Another reason for this could be the position of the neck or its shape.
#3 Obesity
Another common reason why do dogs snore so much?. Obesity is considered the root cause of many ailments, snoring is one of them. In studies carried out by experts, it has been observed that obesity can be considered one of the significant reasons behind snoring in both humans and animals. Any excess weight added to the body puts more pressure and resistance on airflow. The excess flesh created between the palate of the nose and throat can cause airflow to be blocked and make loud noises when faced with any resistance. Obesity can cause pressure on the rib cage, making it difficult for your dog to breathe in and breathe out.
#4 Allergies and Infections
If you are wondering why my dog snores and sounds congested? Canines prone to allergies and infections, especially if they had not undergone proper vaccination when they were young. Pets can be susceptible to dust, pollen, grains, and smoke. Their high sensitivity to such allergens may cause the passage between the nose and throat to swell, leading to inflammation.
The inflamed area will also start producing more mucus as a defence mechanism to fight against the allergen. The mucus combined with the inflammation will cause blockage to the free movement of air, causing your dog to have a runny nose and loud snoring when it is asleep. Such infections need to be treated immediately and require utmost care.
#4 Medical Condition
One of the reasons that need to be taken very seriously. If you have a pet dog that does not snore or does not have any past snoring habit, you start noticing it snore suddenly. It can become a reason for concern. There might be an agent blocking the nose for your dogs, such as a grass seed stuck in his nose or some lump and polyps. You cannot remove these agents at home, and you need to rush your dog immediately to the vet and get it removed safely under professional care. Another notable reason for a dog to start snoring suddenly can be the formation of a tumor in the nose, palate, or throat. This is very common in aging dogs.
When is Snoring in Dogs Not Normal?
There are mainly two reasons you have to start worrying about your dog snoring. On the off chance, you have a dog prone to snoring every night but is always in a playful and active mood during the day – it can be considered perfectly normal. Similarly, in the case of owning a flat-faced dog like a pug or Boston terrier, because of their anatomical issue, you can still consider their snoring to be regular rather than a medical condition that needs to be treated. Below listed are the two reasons which may be a cause of concern for pet parents.
#1 Seasonal Change
If you start noticing that your dog is prone to snoring in a particular season compared to the rest of the year, you may want to check in with your vet. Along with snoring, if your dog has itchy skin, runny nose, restlessness, sneezing, and sore eyes, it can be considered a significant ailment and a point of concern.
#2 Sudden Snoring
Get your dog to visit a vet immediately if you start noticing a sudden change in your dog’s snores. Suppose it suddenly starts snoring, or its snoring has become worse than before, and it is showing lethargy or no activity when awake. In that case, it can again be a significant concern, and your dog might need serious help.
How To Prevent Dogs From Snoring?
There are various ways of helping your dog and preventing it from snoring.
- If your dog loves to sleep on its back, try to slowly turn it over and watch the change in its snoring level.
- Another way of helping your dog is if your dog is allergic to dust and pollens or smoke, make sure that you keep your house clean and have an air purifier and an air freshener installed.
- This will significantly help reduce the amount of dust and foul smell in your house, reducing the inflammation caused by it to your dog.
- Always make sure that you also keep your dog’s diet in check, and if it is obese, you need to follow a healthy nutritional dog food regime.
- Give your pet the necessary exercise, take him regularly out for walks and provide it with plenty of proteins and nutritional food.
- If you have a short-face dog, you can consult a vet and take the necessary treatment to help your dog with its blocked nose. It will help your dog have a more relaxed breathing pattern and help it lead a good life.
Conclusion
In some cases, snoring in a dog is unavoidable, especially if your dog belongs to the brachycephalic breed. Some of the reasons, like sleeping position, can be considered normal. But if your start noticing your dog becoming lethargic, suddenly start snoring that too in some seasons, it can be because of some medical condition and needs utmost attention. Inflammation of the nasal area because of allergens can also be avoided by keeping your dog in a clean and dust-free area. But if none of these tricks work for you, you can always switch to buying a good pair of earplugs to help you sleep peacefully at night.