"Why do I love eating poop?" Signed the Family Dog

This is a subject request from one of my clients.  And let me tell you she isn't alone, I get asked this question quite frequently.  I will also admit to my personal dogs occasionlly having a party snack out of the cat litter box.  My standard response as to why they do it; is because to them it tastes good!  I know this isn't a very scientific response, so I found a wonderful article that spells it all out in black and white.  And it's pretty funny!!

THE CANINE BEHAVIOR SERIES
By Kathy Diamond DavisAuthor and Trainer

Eating Dog Feces

"My dog eats his own poop!" exclaims the shocked human family member of an otherwise-perfect canine. Or, embarrassed to come right out with it, the human says, "I need to ask about this thing my dog does. It's really strange and disgusting…" The average person doesn't seem to discuss poop-eating dogs with friends and family, so people don't realize it's a common dog behavior.

Natural Behavior
Mother dogs clean their nursing puppies and eat the feces. With pups in the nest, you can imagine the unhealthy situation that would result from the waste being allowed to accumulate. Cats perform this task for their kittens, too. Other adult dogs in the family sometimes take over motherly duties in times of need, such as a litter too large for the mother or a mother who is ill or dies.
False pregnancies are normal in intact female dogs, and female dogs tend to cycle on the same schedule with other females in the same household. Other females who are in false pregnancy are often well equipped to mother some or all of the pups in another female's litter.
You can see that eating dog feces is not at all an unusual behavior for dogs. When the pups start eating solid food and walking well enough to get out of the nest to poop, mom can stop the cleaning duty. But the habit can certainly persist in her, and the hard-wired instinct probably exists in most dogs, ready to be triggered by various life situations.

Triggers
Sometimes we don't know why a particular dog starts eating poop, but certain conditions can trigger the behavior. Since some of these indicate a dog who needs help, you'll want to consider them as possibilities for what is going on with your dog.
1. A dog with a physical problem that causes excessive hunger, pain, or other sensations may resort to eating feces. If your adult dog who has not previously had this habit suddenly develops it, take the dog to your veterinarian for a check-up.
2. A dog who is not getting enough to eat or is going too long between meals may eat feces. Your veterinarian can help you evaluate the dog's weight and can suggest a feeding schedule and amount. Sometimes it takes experimentation to see what works best for a particular dog.
3. A dog with intestinal parasites or other condition that creates blood or other fecal changes may eat feces. One dog may eat the feces of another dog who is shedding something like this in the stools. A fresh fecal specimen to your veterinarian for evaluation can detect some of these problems.
4. Sometimes a change of diet helps. There doesn't seem to be any one food that is right for all dogs, and your dog may need something different than you're currently feeding. Be sure to make any changes of diet gradual, mixing the new food in with the old over a period of several days or weeks, to give the dog's intestines time to adjust and avoid diarrhea from the change.
5. Some dogs develop a mental connection that they will be punished if their humans find them in the same room with feces. Dogs react to this fearful situation in various ways, and one way is to eat the feces so it will not be there to make the human angry. This is one of many reasons not to use punishment when housetraining a dog.
6. Boredom can cause dogs to do all sorts of things, including eat feces. Interesting toys that have treats inside them for the dog to get out can help with lots of boredom-based problems.

7. Dogs may do just about any wild thing when suffering from separation anxiety. If that is the problem,

this won't be the only symptom, and you'll want to help your dog work through the separation anxiety.

Sanitation
The number-one thing you can do to help overcome feces eating is to keep your dog's area clean of feces. This means housetraining, and supervising the dog whenever the dog is in the designated relief area. It's obviously not healthy for dogs to eat feces, and preventing the dog from carrying out the habit is also basic to getting the habit to fade.
It's not healthy for humans or dogs to have the feces lying around, either. Until a dog is fully housetrained and the feces-eating habit has died out, picking up after each bowel movement is an important tactic. After the dog's habits are steady, you may be able to pick up just once a day if you have a private place for the dog to use.

Food Additives
Some people swear by food additives to stop a dog from eating feces. Sometimes the theory is that the additive provides a nutrient the dog is seeking when eating feces and thus the dog will no longer crave feces. Other times the theory is that the additive makes the feces taste bad and the dog will not want it.
Before you try adding any of these things to your dog's food, consult your veterinarian about whether the particular additive is safe for your particular dog. Don't expect any additive to be a miracle cure. These things tend to work for the occasional dog, but chances are pretty good that your dog won't be the one.

Bait and Switch
While you're hanging out with your dog to supervise, you can hurry the process of fading out the feces-eating habit with a simple and pleasant training technique. The tools you'll need are a collar or head halter for the dog, a leash, and small treats your dog values highly.
If your dog is easily handled, the collar will do. If the dog is extremely determined to eat the poop, extremely fast or strong, have a behavior specialist fit your dog with the correct size head halter, introduce your dog to it gently, and give you one or more lessons on how to use the head halter safely and effectively. It gives you more control over the dog's mouth than a collar, and if your particular dog needs it for this training you'll be glad to have the skill for other training situations, too.
Take your dog out to potty on leash. As soon as the poop hits the ground and the dog shows interest in it, call the dog to you. Use the leash not to jerk the dog, but simply to keep the dog from being able to reach the feces. Keep the treats out of sight.
The instant the dog reaches you, praise the dog, whip out a treat and give it. Then back away from the dog, praise and give another treat for coming to you, and repeat that for a total of three to five times. At this point you have really taken the dog's mind off the feces.
Go on indoors with the dog and come back out without the dog to clean up. Once you have good control and a good rapport with the dog, you can go ahead and clean up while the dog is still outside. As you set this habit more strongly through repetition, you will be able to do the bait-and-switch with the dog on a long line, coming to you at the back door for a treat. Eventually you'll be able to do bait-and-switch without a leash or line on the dog. Keep up the same energy and level of reward, if you want the dog to keep responding!

Talk about It
After the dog has been prevented from eating feces for a considerable length of time, the habit tends to fade. That makes supervising the dog and working on this in the positive, bait-and-switch way very worth your while. Start the intervention as soon as you notice the dog eating feces, because the less time a habit has been going on, the more easily it will fade.
Help your friends and family by talking about this problem. You'll help their dogs in the process, too, because some people try punishment to break the habit. As you know now, that doesn't work, and it's destructive to the dog's trust in people and to the family's relationship with their dog. Let's bring this "dirty little secret" out into the open.
Date Published: 1/25/2004 11:41:00 AM

---

Kathy Diamond Davis is the author of the book Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others. Should the training articles available here or elsewhere not be effective, contact your veterinarian. Veterinarians not specializing in behavior can eliminate medical causes of behavior problems. If no medical cause is found, your veterinarian can refer you to a colleague who specializes in behavior or a local behaviorist.

Copyright 2004 - 2010 by Kathy Diamond Davis. Used with permission. All rights reserved.


This article is also available to your clients on our veterinary client site, Veterinary Partner at http://www.VeterinaryPartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1613. If you'd like to send the article to a client just open the article (click the above link) and click 'Email article'.

QR Code

This "QR Code" is just the coolest thing for all those like me that didn't know it existed.  It is a little square bar code that you can scan with your smartphone and it we take you to a particular website...  You have to download a free app on your phone to be able to scan it with your camera.  They have apps for the iphone network and the droid network.  My boyfriend just goes on and on about the 'droid' network...  Anyway I am super excited because we now have a QR Code for our clinic web address and for my blog site!!  You can even scan them on the computer screen!!

Stay tuned for my next blog it is about Holiday Safety-mainly toxic plants.

QR for my blog

QR for my Clinic



$$$$ Expensive Dog Breeds $$$$

I added a poll to see what the favorite dog breed is, as a way to lead into the most expensive dog breeds.  This is from Trupanion a pet insurance company.  The numbers are based on claims submitted by their policyholders since August 12, 2000.  These are only numbers for pets that have insurance, what about the millions that don't???!!!! 


The number one most expensive dog breed is the:  English Bulldog

The total amount spent was ~1 BILLION DOLLARS!!!  The average claim amount was $370. 
This breed is prone to such things as cherry eye, brachycephalic syndrome(smushed face/nose causing a whole list of problems), hip dysplasia, etc.  I might add that, many I see also have a considerable amount of skin issues as well.  This breed just crams in alot of dog into a very compact package.  When that happens your just asking for health issues.







The number deux is the:  Bernese Mountain Dog
Total spent- $554,000 Million, $412 per claim

This breed is prone to cataracts, elbow dysplasia, stomach torsion, and mast cell tumors.
These are beautiful dogs but I don't really see too many of them in Texas.  It's probably a little too hot here in the summer.





The #3 is the:  Rottweiler

The total claim amount is: $532,000 Million, $567 per claim.

Trupanion lists breed problems as allergies, elbow dysplasia, stomach torsion, and hypothyroidism.  I feel that on Rotties my number one complaint is bone problems(knees, elbows and hips).  The next thing I think of when I see a Rottie is bone cancer, yet again a bone problem.








The number four is the:  Great Dane


The big one is the Dane

Total amount spent is $462,000 million, with an average claim of $385.

These are massive dogs so most of their problems are also bone problems such as elbow and hip dysplasia.  They can also have heart conditions and stomach torsions.  When you have such a huge dog, it can come with huge problems as well.








The number 5 is the: French Bulldog(Frenchie)

Policyholders have spent $384,000 with the average claim of $355.

This breed has similar problems as the English Bulldog.  It has allergies, brachycephalic syndrome, hip problems, and small nose holes(stenotic nares).  To me this breed is just the little brother to the English bulldog, they have their share of medical issues but nothing compared to the English. 



-This post is just a FYI, I have no preference to any breed of dog.  This will probably get me yelled at by many people but I love a Heinz 57-mixed breed just the same as any purebred.  They all have their good things and their bad things.  These five breeds just tend to have a little more due to their conformation and size.-

Sorry for my Abscence

I wanted to start out with an apology for my lack of posting.  I recently decided to start a complete renovation of my bathroom.  This really sounded like a good idea when I started, but now that the room is missing pretty much all parts that make a bathroom a bathroom, such as a flushing toilet and running water, I am beginning to rethink the entire process....  Anyway with that being said it is coming along fairly well, with the help of my parents and their vast knowledge of all things drywall and hopefully my brother will come soon to help me to some fancy tiling.

I decided this week to repost a blog my brother sent me.  It is a hilarious story of a couple moving with their two dogs.  The simple dog is by far my favorite part!!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/11/dogs-dont-understand-basic-concepts.html

Next week look forward to the most expensive dog breeds!!!

Lepto What??

Lepto or Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can occur in dogs, livestock, wildlife and humans.  It is spread via the urine into water sources where it can live.  I feel that pretty much any dog no matter its environment can be at risk.  We are moving into these animals habitats and they are in turn coming into our back yards and public parks in search of food and water sources.

Dogs get Lepto by drinking, swimming and or walking through contaminated water.  This can be any stagnant surface water (ex. where your house drains), moist soil and ponds or lakes.  The bacteria can enter through any mucous membrane (eyes, nose or mouth) or a simple cut in the skin.  Lepto is contagious to other dogs and even PEOPLE through an infected dog’s urine.  The Center for Disease Control estimated that ~200 people per year become infected with leptospirosis!!!

The signs of a lepto infection can be very, very nonspecific.  I have had dogs come in for something as simple as limping to dogs that are vomiting and not eating, that test positive for lepto.  Lepto can cause disease/failure of the kidneys and/or liver, depending on the strain.  There are four strains of Lepto that we have identified to cause problems in dogs.  There is a test for Lepto but it can take several days to get back from the lab.  We often do some screening blood work to look at the dogs organ function. We then use that and the history to make a presumptive diagnosis (big word for an educated guess).  These dogs are often treated with hospitalization, intravenous fluids AND antibiotics.  If this disease is caught early and treatment is started then the dogs usually do very well.      

The best way to protect you dog is vaccinate it against Lepto.  The vaccine contains those four common strains of the bacteria.  The vaccine is very safe and effective if given properly.  I always warn my clients that we must 'boost' this vaccine.  'Boost' just means we give the initial vaccine and then in 2-3 weeks we give another vaccine.  This vaccine is different than some of our other vaccines that help prevent Rabies and Parvo.  Rabies and Parvo are both viruses, Lepto is a bacteria.  This only matters because the 'booster' vaccine MUST be giving in that 2-3 week period.  If it is not, then we need to start again with the 2 vaccine series to get adequate protection.  After the 2 shot series this then becomes part of the dogs once a year vaccines. 

Let me briefly tell you how vaccines work:  The vaccine has little inactive parts of the actual disease (lepto) in it.  It is so small that is doesn't cause your dog to get sick with Lepto but it does cause the dogs body to start an immune response (it sends in the soldiers)!   The dog’s body easily takes care of the 'little' Lepto BUT now the body remembers lepto... Just like you remember that kid that stole your dessert as a child!  Sooo, the next time your dog gets exposed to Lepto (drinking pond water) its body says; "Heh dude, I remember you and can easily fight off the infection".  The immune system is amazing!!!

I have seen numerous cases of Lepto, in everything from a little Chihuahua to a gigantic Rottweiler.  They have lived everywhere from out in the country to an apartment.  I encourage every owner to vaccinate if there is even the slightest risk of exposure.  I doubly encourage those owners with little ones and teenagers with 'irregular hygiene' to prevent with vaccination.  Your veterinarian can advise you on current protocols and options.

Here are some links about Lepto:

THE CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g_pet.htm

Pfizer Animal Health:
http://www.factsonlepto.com/index.htm

Shedding versus Non-shedding breeds

I just realized I forgot to post the pics of all my other pets.  So here they are...  These 3 are the real trouble makers at our house!

"Gracie"



"Cedar"



                                                                        

'June' or 'Bug'



Ok, now down to business...  I had a request to write about this and it's a pretty interesting subject.  Just to start with, there really are not any non-shedding breeds unless your talking about hairless breeds(Sphinx and Mexican hairless).  And truthfully I have seen some of these breeds have a little hair on their heads or legs...

 

When we usually think of non-shedding breeds we think of Poodles, Shih-tzu's, Malteses, etc.  My dog Ebony is a poodle-cocker spaniel mix or a cockapoo.  I don't really notice any shedding from her, it's wonderful!   These breeds actually have 'hair' or a constantly growing coat.  It is very much like our own hair.  Pretty much all these breeds require grooming, soooo you trade shedding for grooming.

The shedding breeds have what I call 'fur'.  It grows to a pre-determined length and then is shed.  These are dogs like labradors, chihuahuas, shepards, etc.  The dogs breed, time of year, and/or environment are all normal things that can contribute to shedding.  Frequent brushing and bathing can really help with the amount of hair left on you and your furniture.  Some of the 'hairier' breeds like; labs, chows, shepards, could really benefit from a visit to the groomer for a 'blow-out and 'under-coat brush' during the high shedding seasons. 

Please remember there are also medical reasons an animal might shed excessively.  Your veterinarian can help determine if it is something that needs treatment.

I hope everyone found this interesting and informative.  I added links to look at these breeds.  These are purebred pictures, but there are many wonderful mixes out there as well.

Dogs:  http://www.akc.org/breeds/breeds_a.cfm

Cats:  http://www.cfa.org/breeds.html

Dental Disease-What the STINK is all about. Part 3

I want to start this post by thanking those people who have commented on my posts.  I didn't realize till today, how to even read those comments!!  So I wasn't ignoring anyone, just slow in my learning of this 'blogging' thing.  Sooo, onto the topic at hand, dental disease.  This section is going to be about how dental disease affects not only the mouth but the pets overall health.

Dental Disease and Health:

All dental disease starts with disease of the periodontium.  The periodontium is simply all the 'stuff' holding a tooth in the mouth.  It is the bone, connective tissue, and gum surrounding and supporting a tooth.  In one of my veterinary text it says, "according to the Guinness World Book of Records, periodontal disease is the most common infectious disease of man".  That is amazing to me when you think that the common cold is an infectious disease!!  More people have periodontal disease than get the common cold....

Periodontal disease starts by bacteria mixing with our saliva and forming 'plaque'.  This is the stuff we brush off twice daily, that makes your teeth feel kinda 'hairy' and causes that wonderful morning breath!  Well, if you can imagine what happens when this plaque isn't brushed off, it becomes hard and forms calculus.  Once this hard calculus forms that's when the bacteria start to have a real "party".  The bacteria starts causing inflammation of the gum(gingivitis) and over time destruction of the actual tooth.  This bacteria and tissue destruction is what causes the terrible odor.  This bacteria can also take the blood highway/blood stream to all the other body organs.  This can cause damage to the heart, kidney, liver, etc. over time.  This is the concerning part about poor mouth health is that it can affect the entire body!

I talked about prevention in my first blog of this series.  I have so many pets that we have started with teeth cleaning too late.  The pet is already in need of extractions on the first cleaning.  This means we are already behind, there is already destruction of the teeth and gums. I explain it as a domino effect, you have one rotten tooth and it starts causing destruction of the teeth on each side of it.  This pet is most likely going to require more extractions in the future, as well as regular cleanings.  Many owners are concerned the pet won't be able to eat if there are alot of teeth pulled.  The teeth that need to be pulled are usually rotten or the root/pulp is exposed.  These teeth for sure are causing the pet pain.  I can't even imagine what a rotten tooth feels like, moving around in there rubbing on sensitive nerves.  I am pretty sure the pet is not chewing with those teeth anyways.  Most dogs I've seen with rotten teeth just swallow their food whole.

I guess I should stop prattling on about prevention and dental health...  It is just one of those things that is totally preventable and provides such an improvement in your pets quality and length of life.  I think it is one of the things that makes my oldest baby-Ebony, so lively and healthy.  She has gorgeous teeth, that are cleaned regularly and we do dental maintenance at home.  Just a reminder she is 11 and has all of her teeth! Pretty good for a little fluffy princess!  

There are two really good sites listed on my favorites: Pets need Dental Care, too and CET Dental Health. 

Dental Disease-What the STINK is all about -PART 2

Product:

I usually recommend several things when it comes to products.  Brushing is by far the very best thing you can do.  I encourage everyone to try, and to start slow.  I bet your mom didn't get you to completely brush all your teeth in one day...  Even with the best intentions there are going to be those pets that are absolutely not going to allow teeth brushing.  I have some suggestions for those pets as well.

When it comes to brushing I recommend only using a pet toothpaste, in a flavor the pet likes(chicken, beef, etc).  Human toothpastes contain alot of fluoride and can be toxic to pets.  I would start with just letting your pet eat some toothpaste.  My dogs love the CET poultry, they actually ate a whole tube once!  Luckily, they didn't actually eat the 'tube' just all the toothpaste!  I like the CET brand by Virbac because it's 'Enzymatic', which means, and I quote: "Dual-Enzyme System activated by saliva to produce Hypothiocyanite ions which eliminates plaque-forming bacteria."  Sooooo, even if you have trouble brushing, the toothpaste in the mouth helps eliminate bacteria.

There are several chews I like.  CET makes numerous chews, some are enzymatic and some have an antiseptic called chlorhexidine.  They have a great cat chew-treat as well.  All my cats really like it and they actually have to chew it, instead of just swallowing.  Greenies are great, they act like a 'Squeegee', like you would use on your windshield.  The only draw back with Greenies is they are pretty high in calories.  When you pick out a chew make sure you pick a size appropriate chew.  For example: Don't get a small chew for a Labrador and a grande for the toy poodle.  If the chew gets small enough to swallow take it away to prevent choking.

Treats have come a long way in the last few years.  Science Diet now has an Oral Care Treat, that helps 'scratch' away the tartar when crunched.  It comes in several different sizes which is great.  There are several other treats, that are aimed at making the breath fresh, kinda like a breath mint.  Any crunchy treat is going to be better than a jerky or soft treat.  Those soft treats are just going to 'gum-up' on the teeth. 

The last few things can be done daily to help with dental disease.  There are special foods that can help prevent dental disease.  There are veterinary diets like Science Diet T/D and Purina DH.  I have also seen 'similar' over the counter formula's.  Breathalyser is a daily water additive.  It helps decrease plaque formation and improve stinky breath(halitosis).

I always tell people; find something you and your pet can do on a fairly regular basis and stick to it.  Then get them in once a year to have your vet evaluate the teeth and perform a dental if needed.  This should help your pet have it's teeth for many years to come.

Stay tuned for Part 3, it is going to be about how dental disease affects you pets overall health.

Here is CET's website, has a pretty entertaining video on how to brush your pets teeth:
http://www.virbacvet.com/cet/

Dental Disease-What the STINK is all about

***UPDATE:
My baking contest was cancelled due to raining... I haven't heard anything about rescheduling but will let you all know, so you can root for me!!***

I was prompted by my boyfriend to write this post about dental disease and cleaning.  He'd never been present when we did a dental cleaning until just this week.  This is a very routine procedure for me and I don't often stop to think, that it is actually a very involved procedure.  Dogs and cats have to be put under general anesthesia for a dental cleaning.  Other than my perfect dog Ebony(mentioned in my first post), I haven't found any dog/cat that will allow much dental work while they are awake. 

So as my boyfriend watched:  I placed a catheter in the vein and gave the dog some anesthesia to allow for a tracheal tube to be placed.  I then hooked up the dog to the gas anesthesia machine and started the anesthesia monitoring equipment.  All the while my veterinary technician was starting the ultrasonic scaling of the teeth.  Now I don't want to brag; but my team is a well-oiled machine and this usually goes very quickly and smoothly. 

Therefore a "routine" cleaning might only take about 45 minutes from start to finish.  On the other hand an animal that has a lot of dental disease that requires extractions(teeth pulling) may take at least 1 hour to complete.  My technicians do the cleaning and polishing of the teeth but any extractions or surgical procedures are done by the veterinarian.  Pretty similar to the hygienist and dentist for humans...

I always get asked how often animals need their teeth cleaned.  There is no straight forward answer to this, because every patient is different.  I have seen dogs go their whole lives and really have very little tartar to
1 year-old dogs having rotten teeth.  It is affected by numerous things: breed, genetics, diet, etc.  My recommendation is to have your vet evaluate the teeth yearly to see if they need cleaning.  To me the goal is to "PREVENT", this includes regular cleanings, at home brushing, dental treats and dental chews.  I can't speak for all the vets out there but I personally don't really enjoy pulling teeth, so if I can avoid that by recommended good prevention, then that's what I'm gonna do!!

I think I might end on that but I will make this a series with more blogs about dental care.  I might do one about at home care with suggestions(specific brands and things to do) and maybe one more about how dental disease affects the pets overall health.  So stay tuned for part 2 and part 3!!     
Below is some pretty gross pics of dental disease, just thought I'd share!!  I find that alot of people are kinda scared to lift up that lip and take a look!

Stage 1

Stage4

Stage 4

Baking Contest

I know, I know, my blog is supposed to be about veterinary medicine... But, the very next most dear thing to my heart is 'sweets'.  I have a terrible sweet tooth that I inherited from my Grandma Mason.  She is also the one who taught me how to bake, so not only do I love to EAT sweets I love to cook them as well!!
I just wanted to share that I have entered myself in my very first baking contest.  It is for a Pecan Festival, so of course the dessert must contain pecans.  I am making 'Deceivingly Delicious Mini Muffins", which are kinda like a mini pecan pie without the crust.  I have been bringing samples to work and making the girls sample them and tell me which ones are the prettiest and tastiest.  This has really been a strain for them....
The contest is on Saturday, so I will update you on the outcome.  I will try to snap a picture of the finished product to post as well.

They Ate What?

Dogs and even Cats often eat things we would never suspect.  I can count on one hand the number of owners that actually knew that their pet had eaten something.  Most tell me, "No, never, Fido would never eat anything"  Then low and behold we end up pulling out everything from bouncy balls, to ribbons and rubber bands!  I have attached a link from Animal Planet of amazing things animals have swallowed.  Then there is a link to a radiograph contest of crazy things animals ate.  I am always shocked about what animal will put in their mouths and swallow!!  I just think what is going through their minds as they down a bucket of nails or as a cat sucks a ribbon down???
Enjoy!!

ANIMAL PLANET LINK:
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/weird-things-animals-swallow/

X-RAY CONTEST
http://media.animalnetwork.com/channelmedia/vpn/TheyAteWhat.pdf

The O-So Dramatic Reverse Sneeze

I often have owners bring their dog in for what turns out to be reverse sneezing. I have owners describe it in all different ways, some describe it as choking or gagging, others describe episodes of the dog being unable to breath.  I do a pretty good re-enactment  of a reverse sneeze...  I am sure this is looks quite ridiculous and am soooo glad there are no mirrors in our rooms.  I am not including a video of myself and the reverse sneeze but have found some good videos on YouTube. 

The most common cause of reverse sneezing is an irritation of the soft palate(top, back part of the mouth) and the throat that results in a spasm.  Allergies are often to blame for this irritation.  Usually if the allergies are treated then the reverse sneezing seems to get better, your veterinarian can help you with treatment choices.  Other causes include:  mites, physical trauma, perfumes, foreign bodies, tumors and viruses. 

During the sneezing it sometimes helps if you will rub the throat or cover the nose to make the dog swallow.  I think it helps stop the spasm and clear out any allergen from the throat.  Reverse sneezing doesn't usually worry me, unless it continues to persist.  If it continues or worsens, a trip to the veterinarian is definitely warranted to make sure the nose and nasal passages are normal.

Videos:
Good Audio, not such a good video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdPUX8mnFE4&feature=related

Very Classic Reverse Sneeze:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HXcMLokADc&feature=related

My Story

Ebby

Well, I guess to get the ball rolling, I should tell you about myself.  I went to vet school at the beautiful Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  I have been practicing veterinary medicine in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex since graduation.  My boyfriend and I have a menagerie of pets that are constantly into something. 

We have 2 dogs:  My sweet girl Ebby who is my 11-year old Cockapoo.(Don't tell her she's eleven, she thinks she's a puppy...)  Ebby is probably the best dog in the whole world!  Never sick and minds better than most people's children.  Then there is June a 1-year old Labrador.  We got June as a puppy and soon found out she had "special needs".  To make a long story short June has a liver problem that requires daily medication and special food.  June in turns feels that this makes her special and she therefore can do whatever she wants whenever she wants!   

Jade

We also have 3 cats:  All the cats are unique and will require a brief description each.  Jade is my long haired tabby.  She is a cats-cat, which means for all you non-cat people, that she only wants petted when it's her idea and rarely shows her face except to demand food.  Next is Cedar, he is my orange tabby.  He is my cat-dog, this means he is unsure if he is a cat or a dog.  Cedar is constantly into or doing something.  He once took down a whole Christmas tree in a matter of seconds.  Lastly is Gracie, she is my boyfriends cat.  She is, a very petite, short haired tabby.  This cat pretty much hates my guts, and being a veterinarian(who pets usually love), it kinda hurts my feelings!  But I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinions...

I hope to pass on stories of interesting cases, general pet wellness, updates on my personal animals and maybe even some funny things that happen in my life through this blog.  So stay tuned in for my next installment.