My dog snorts, gags, and coughs after dental cleaning. What's wrong?

If there are no other signs (like coughing retching or sneezing and others) this is not usually a very clinically significant symptom. In case other signs are present as well, an upper respiratory tract infection/inflammation could be present.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Matilda! I am not familiar with using a tube in the nose to deliver oxygen and anesthetic gas for dentals or surgery. We use endotracheal tubes down their throats for this. It sounds like Matilda has irritation from the tube most likely or she has an infection. Just make sure she is breathing normally to be sure her heart and lungs are ok. If she has a history of a heart murmur a recheck with your Vet may be the best thing. Irritation from the tracheal tube should resolve on it's own in a week, getting better each day. If she has kennel cough she may need an antibiotic or something to help with the cough. I recommend calling your Vet today to discuss her symptoms and see if they can prescribe something to give her some relief that you can pick it up. They may want to see her first though. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Hi. Yes it is normal to havevsime coughing or irritation there after an endotraceal tube is used. If it continues beyond 3-5 days, or if there are also other signs, I would call your veterinarian first thing in the morning.

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.

Sometimes after dental extractions they can develop a connection between the nasal and oral cavities called a fistula. This can allow oral cavity food, bacteria, saliva, etc. to enter the nose which can sometimes lead to these signs. Often times there may be nasal discharge as well. As well there are other post anesthesia problems that can occur less frequently. Since this sounds like a notable change post dental i would have it evaluated by your family vet. They can look at the extraction sites and do a thorough oral exam (sedation likely required) as well as check for normal airflow via the nose and normal airway function. If you think the sleeping a lot is new as well then this could be related or some other issue. Rechecking some bloodwork will likely be recommended as he is an older pet that underwent anesthesia. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Patton vomited today. If he is making some abnormal breathing sounds, it is possible that he could have aspirated (breathed some of the fluid into his lungs). This can lead to aspiration pneumonia, which can make dogs very sick. He may have some inflammation of his esophagus or his palate that is causing him to make a snorting noise, or he could even have something that is partially obstructing his airway. I would monitor Patton closely for any changes in behavior such as excessive lethargy or anorexia, or continued vomiting or diarrhea. Also watch for changes to his breathing effort - if he appears to be using his belly to help him breathe, this could be a sign of lung disease such as pneumonia and he should be seen by a veterinarian right away. If his snorting noise does not resolve on it's own over the next 24-48 hours, or if he develops any other clinical signs, I would have him evaluated by a veterinarian. They may recommend bloodwork and/or x-rays to look for evidence of lung disease. I hope this is helpful!

A mild post intubation cough can sometimes be present for a day or 2 from irritation but it should resolve quickly. If the cough is persistent and especially if the cough is productive, moist, or accompanied by nasal discharge, decreased appetite, or lethargy than this would be more concerning. With recent anesthesia we would then consider aspiration pneumonia and heart failure as possibilites. The easiest thing to do is to have a recheck for chest xrays to rule out something more serious. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!