Why is my dog sniffing my blanket so hard, making gargling sounds?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Biko is gagging, he may have something stuck in his throat and is trying to clear it. You can try offering him some wet dog food formed into a meatball to see if this helps push anything in his throat along. If the gagging continues or you are ever worried about how well Biko is breathing, I recommend having Biko seen by a veterinarian for an exam. Your vet may recommend chest x-rays to see if Biko has any primary lung issues or reasons for the gagging. I hope this is helpful!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I may not have an exact answer for you but it is likely normal for your dog. It could be his tongue hitting the roof of his mouth as he is "tasting" what he is sniffing. There is a olfactory gland on the roof of the mouth right behind the incisors. Or it should be his epiglottis opening and closing as he breaths or the soft palate is a bit long and it is flapping as he breaths. If something changes when he breathes normally I would see your Vet and get a work up. Good luck

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not necessarily a cause of concern. Dogs can make these sounds for many reasons and most of the time it is to just seek attention. I would not be concerned about this. Good luck!

She may have some nasal drippage and is trying to suck it back up. Check her nose and also listen to her breathing to make sure she doesn't sound congested. Also if she is coughing she likley has an upper airway infection. If she doesn't have any of this going on, then she is likely smelling sometihng that intrigues her, so no worries. As long as she is not coughing excessively sneezing, vomiting or having diarrhea, she is likely just fine. Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope everything works out well for Ms. Zoe. Take care!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be secondary to an allergy, a reverse sneeze or coughing. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. A thorough examination will help rule out multiple causes and even considering having x-rays performed would help rule out multiple causes. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Your dog may have an elongated soft palate that causes an intermittent obstruction of air flow. Usually it is self limiting and doesn’t cause issues but if this is happening consistently there is a surgery that can be performed to help open up the airway. I would recommend talking to your vet about the issue and having them perform an oral exam. They may recommend surgery. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to an upper respiratory infection. This is something that if confirmed, your veterinarian could prescribe antibiotics. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!