I. What Causes Dogs to Snore

The dog owner knows that the dog will snore like a human, and it looks very cute! So why do dogs snore? For those who have such doubts, we will share the reasons why dogs snore and how to deal with them today.

1, obese body type
First of all, the main reason for snoring is that the "upper respiratory tract", which is the air passage in the air body, is affected by something and becomes narrow.

There are many reasons for the narrowing of the upper airway, and obesity is one of the common reasons. When the fat around the dog's neck increases, the upper airway will be compressed and snoring will occur. If the dog is obese, then snoring is likely to be caused by obesity. The owner can make the dog lose weight and lose the excess fat by adjusting the dog's food and increasing the amount of exercise and other methods.

2銆丏og breed
Different dog breeds have different body solutions for dogs with specific body structures, which can also easily cause snoring. For example, short-headed breeds with shorter noses such as the Fag and French Bulldog have a longer soft palate than most breeds, leading to blocked airways and impeding breathing. When the soft palate wobbles in a breathing situation, the dog will snore. This congenital condition of a long soft palate is called "soft palate overgrowth" and can occur in toy dogs such as Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas, in addition to short-headed breeds, and sometimes in large dogs such as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers. In addition, a congenital disease called "nasal stenosis" is common in short-headed breeds, a disease that causes breathing difficulties due to the natural narrowing of the nostrils.

3銆丗oul air
When a dog inhales a cigarette, the cigarette will irritate the nasal mucosa, resulting in the appearance of a runny nose. Nasal congestion due to a runny nose will eventually cause the dog to snore as well. Similarly, in the case of dogs that are allergic to something, such as house dust and pollen, and other airborne substances, this can cause rhinitis and eventually snoring. In this case, the best preventive measure is not to smoke next to the dog. In the case of allergies, you can also remove allergens by turning on exhaust fans, turning on air purifiers, and other measures.

4. Diseases
Soft palate hypertelorism

As mentioned above, this is a congenital disease. If the condition continues to deteriorate, in addition to sleeping, daily breathing will be like snoring, and the slightest movement will cause cyanosis and respiratory distress, and sometimes life-threatening. The most fundamental treatment is the surgical removal of the soft palate. To prevent complications of other diseases such as tracheal deficiency and verbal deficiency, surgical treatment at the early stage of onset is the best option. Also, obesity can cause the soft palate to droop, so be careful not to let your dog get too fat.

Rhinitis (allergy, sinusitis)
Rhinitis caused by allergies can cause dogs to have a runny nose, the result of which is nasal congestion, breathing difficulties, and snoring. If the snoring comes on suddenly and is accompanied by symptoms such as sneezing and a lot of runny noses, then rhinitis may be at work. In addition, if the runny nose is opaque, colored, and sticky, the inflammation may have spread deep into the sinuses, i.e. sinusitis.

Airway deficiency
This is a disease in which the airways are blocked by air entering the lungs, eventually causing difficulty in breathing. The initial symptom is a dry cough, and as the disease continues to progress, the trachea collapses to the point where it cannot be restored to its original state, leaving the dog with difficulty breathing. There is no definitive cause for this disease, but the irritation of the airways by obesity or other substances, and a decrease in tracheal muscles due to aging are triggering factors. Tracheal deficiency is most often seen in small dogs of middle to high age, but there are certainly cases of young dogs that develop it. In addition, all breeds of dogs can develop this disease, but Japanese dogs such as Shiba Inu and large dogs such as Golden Retrievers are relatively susceptible.

Heart disease
The four valves in the heart have difficulty closing or opening for some reason, a condition known as "valve disease. The most common of these is "Monk's Cap Insufficiency," in which blood flows backward from the left ventricle to the left atrium because the monk's cap does not work properly, preventing blood from traveling smoothly throughout the body. The backflow of blood will cause bruising in the left atrium, which will lead to hypertrophy and eventually compress the bronchial tubes, causing coughing and snoring.

Ways to distinguish normal snoring from dangerous snoring
As stated above, snoring is usually caused by a narrowing of the airway. For example, snoring can also be caused by bending of the airway if you sleep poorly. In this case, snoring will stop as soon as it returns to a normal and comfortable position.
In addition, dogs in the short-headed category usually snore, which is not necessarily abnormal in terms of body structure. With this type of dog, the owner should pay attention to these conditions, whether the snoring appears suddenly and whether the dog is in pain. Especially in the case of senior dogs, their snoring can occur frequently due to the decrease in muscle mass and the deterioration of heart disease.
Although there are many reasons for snoring, no matter what the cause is, it will eventually cause breathing disorders. When you feel that your dog's snoring is different than usual, we still recommend taking your dog to the vet.

II. Analyzing the four reasons why dogs snore and what owners can do about it

Dog snoring is a problem, after all, there are quite a few owners who don't sleep well. If the dog snores at night while sleeping. It is easy to wake up the owner, to give the owner a peaceful sleep, we will talk about the problem of dog snoring today, what situation, the dog snoring need to go to the vet?

One of the causes of dog snoring: obesity
The vast majority of dogs snore because they are overweight and too obese. Because of the excess fat, their upper airways become narrower. When air passes through the narrowed airway, the surrounding mucous membranes produce sound due to vibration. To the human ear, it sounds like the dog is snoring. Obese dogs may not only accumulate fat in their upper airways but may even have too much fat in their necks, causing the upper airways to be compressed and eventually causing the dog to snore.

The second reason for snoring in dogs: genetic problems
Some dogs have a relatively long soft palate due to their body structure. This long soft palate will obstruct the dog's airway, and when the dog breathes, the air will be blocked here, which will make a sound. Of course, there is another situation where a dog is born with a "narrow nasal cavity" problem, and the dog snores because of the painful analysis. This situation is mostly found in dogs with short noses, but also in Chenery, Chihuahua, Golden, and Labrador.

Dog snoring cause No. 3: air pollution
When the nasal passages of dogs are irritated, they will snore as a result. If the owner smokes, then the mucous membrane of the dog's nasal cavity will be irritated and the snot secreted will block the nasal cavity of the dog, which in turn will cause snoring. If the dog has allergy problems, then the rhinitis produced when the dog is allergic can also cause the dog to snore. The only solution is to use an air purifier or open the windows for ventilation.

Dog snoring cause No. 4: Disease
Underdeveloped soft palate
This is a hereditary disease and in severe cases, even dogs can sound when they are breathing daily. Problems with the soft palate can block the dog's airway, and the best way to solve the dog's problem is to have surgery on the dog. If you are not prepared to operate on your dog, you should also be careful to lose weight to avoid sagging due to excessive obesity, which can cause the problem to become more serious.

Rhinitis
Whether it is allergic rhinitis or ordinary chronic rhinitis, dogs can also suffer from a runny nose and nasal congestion as a result. And this condition is what triggers the dog snoring. And the solution is the relief of the dog's rhinitis problem.

Tracheal Collapse
Collapsed trachea is a very serious problem because the trachea that transports air is collapsed. The dog is unable to breathe properly, which is why it makes this peculiar snoring sound when it falls asleep. There are many triggers for this disease, and adult dogs and small dogs are especially susceptible to this dangerous condition.

Heart disease
Heart disease can also cause snoring in dogs, where the heart valves do not open and close properly. If there is a problem with the mitral valve, the dog's blood will not be able to flow back from the left ventricle to the left atrium. The regurgitation of blood causes the left atrium to become congested and enlarged, which may lead to bronchial compression, and eventually, the dog will develop a cough and snore.

Foreign body in the nasal cavity
If a dog has a foreign body in their nasal passages then it will experience sneezing, snoring, discomfort, runny nose, nosebleeds, etc. You need to take your dog to the vet for an examination.

How to determine if a dog's snoring is dangerous
Owners need to pay attention to their dogs after they have found out that they are snoring. If the dog makes a sound like snoring even when it is awake, then the owner needs to pay attention. The dog's condition may require a visit to the hospital for treatment and diagnosis. If the dog has been snoring for a long time, then the situation needs to be looked at because it is likely that the dog will have a snoring problem because of genetics. If a dog suddenly has a snoring problem, then the owner should be careful if the dog is suffering from an acute disease.

The problem of dog snoring can be solved by sleeping in separate rooms to solve the problem, the owner needs to pay attention to whether snoring is a sign of dog disease, after all, health is the most important thing.