Reverse sneezing is not a hallmark sign of kennel cough, but the two can look and sound similar enough that dog owners regularly confuse them. Kennel cough produces a very different type of respiratory noise, and telling them apart is straightforward once you know what to listen and watch for. In some cases, though, the upper airway irritation caused by a respiratory infection can trigger reverse sneezing episodes, so the two aren’t completely unrelated.
What Reverse Sneezing Actually Is
A reverse sneeze is a reflex triggered by irritation in the back of a dog’s nasal passages or throat. Instead of pushing air out (like a normal sneeze), the dog rapidly pulls air in through the nose, creating a loud snorting or honking sound that can last anywhere from a few seconds to about 30 seconds. During an episode, dogs often stand still with their neck extended and elbows splayed, and it can look alarming if you’ve never seen it before. Owners frequently mistake it for choking, retching, or even a seizure.
Common triggers include excitement, pulling on a leash, allergens, dust, nasal mites, foreign bodies in the nasal passage, and irritation from post-nasal drip. Dogs with elongated soft palates, particularly flat-faced breeds like Pugs and Bulldogs, tend to reverse sneeze more often because the soft palate can briefly get caught over the airway opening. For most dogs, episodes are sporadic and mild, and the dog returns to completely normal behavior within seconds of the episode ending.
What Kennel Cough Sounds Like
Kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) produces a harsh, hacking cough that most owners describe as sounding like the dog has something stuck in its throat. It’s a forceful, outward expulsion of air, not the rapid inward snorting of a reverse sneeze. The cough can be dry or “productive,” followed by gagging, a swallowing motion, or foamy mucus coming up. Activity and excitement tend to make it worse.
Beyond the cough itself, kennel cough typically comes with other signs of infection: sneezing, nasal discharge, eye discharge, mild fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite. In puppies or dogs with weakened immune systems, it can progress to pneumonia, which brings labored breathing into the picture. The cough persists for days to weeks, not seconds.
How to Tell Them Apart
The single biggest difference is the direction of airflow. During a reverse sneeze, your dog is inhaling forcefully through the nose with the mouth closed. During a kennel cough episode, your dog is pushing air out through the mouth in a harsh, hacking motion. If you’re unsure, watch the chest: a reverse sneeze pulls the chest inward, while a cough forces it outward.
Timing matters too. A reverse sneeze episode is brief, usually under 30 seconds, and the dog acts completely normal before and after. Kennel cough produces repeated bouts of coughing throughout the day, often worsening with exercise or excitement, and persisting for one to three weeks. If your dog also has a runny nose, watery eyes, low energy, or a reduced appetite, that points strongly toward an infection rather than simple reverse sneezing.
Context is also useful. Reverse sneezing often has an identifiable trigger: the dog just got excited, started eating, pulled against a collar, or went outside into cold air. Kennel cough tends to start a few days after exposure to other dogs, whether at a boarding facility, dog park, groomer, or shelter.
Can Kennel Cough Trigger Reverse Sneezing?
Yes, it can. Reverse sneezing is a reflex driven by irritation of the nasopharyngeal lining, and an upper respiratory infection creates exactly that kind of irritation. A dog with kennel cough may reverse sneeze more frequently than usual because the infection inflames the tissues in the back of the throat and nasal passages. So while reverse sneezing alone isn’t a reliable indicator of kennel cough, a sudden increase in reverse sneezing episodes alongside coughing, nasal discharge, or lethargy could suggest an infection is the underlying cause.
Upper respiratory infections are specifically listed among the conditions veterinarians consider when evaluating frequent reverse sneezing. Other conditions on that list include nasal tumors or polyps, foreign objects lodged in the nasal passage, collapsing trachea, and chronic inflammation of the nasal lining.
When Reverse Sneezing Needs Attention
Occasional reverse sneezing in an otherwise healthy dog is normal and requires no treatment. Most dogs experience it at some point, and the episodes resolve on their own. You can sometimes shorten an episode by gently rubbing your dog’s throat or briefly covering the nostrils to encourage a swallow, which resets the soft palate.
Frequent or worsening episodes are a different story. If your dog is reverse sneezing multiple times a day, or if the episodes are becoming longer or more intense, a veterinarian will typically start by treating for allergies and nasal mites to see if symptoms improve. If they don’t, the next steps may include X-rays of the head, a sedated oral exam, and rhinoscopy (a tiny camera inserted into the nasal passages) to look for masses, polyps, or foreign objects. Dogs with brachycephalic anatomy who have persistent respiratory distress may benefit from surgery to shorten the soft palate.
Other Conditions That Mimic These Sounds
Several conditions produce respiratory noises that can be confused with either reverse sneezing or kennel cough. Tracheal collapse, common in small breeds like Yorkshire Terriers and Pomeranians, causes a “goose honk” cough that worsens with excitement or pressure on the neck. Laryngeal paralysis, more common in older large-breed dogs, produces noisy, labored breathing, especially during exercise or warm weather. Nasal polyps or tumors can cause chronic snorting and reverse sneezing that doesn’t respond to allergy treatment. Foreign bodies lodged in the nasal passages produce sudden, frantic sneezing, often from one nostril.
If your dog’s noisy breathing is new, persistent, or accompanied by any sign of distress like blue-tinged gums, fainting, or an inability to settle, the cause needs to be identified rather than assumed. A video of the episode taken on your phone is one of the most useful things you can bring to a veterinary appointment, since dogs rarely perform on cue in the exam room.