My dog stops breathing and gasps for air while snoring. Help!

If Bruno is unable to breathe, gasping for air, choking, or his gums/tongue or turning blue or pale, this is a medical emergency and care should be sought at your local vet or ER vet ASAP. Some breeds of dog may snore more often, or have trouble breathing. Problems such as asthma, sinus issues, illness, structural problems of the nose or sinuses, etc can all cause difficulty breathing. If this is happening repeatedly, scheduling a veterinary exam is best to rule out any more serious causes and get Bruno some relief.

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.

Unfortunately pugs are extremely brachycephalic dogs and it is not rare that they cannot breathe properly and fall unconscious due to lack of oxygen. You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for assessment and an exam. The extremely flat face and nose causes two problems: the opening of the nose is often obstructed and can be surgically enlarged to help with breathing. Also the soft palate is often way to big as there is no snout, and often obstructs the larynx, cutting off the air flow. This can be surgically adjusted. Both these conditions can also cause heart failure. Please take your dog to a veterinarian or veterinary surgeon for an exam soon.

Unfortunately brachycephalic dogs like pugs (flat nosed dogs) often have breathing problems due to the shape of their head. This can also cause congestive heart failure which aggravates the condition. I suggest you take Neffer to your vet to rule out a heart problem. Your vet will be able to assess why your pug has problems breathing and problems with exercise and will discuss improving air intake by surgical means (e.g. opening the nostrils further, or reducing the size of the soft palate). Panting may also be a sign of Cushing;s disease, which should also be ruled out. This can be done with a blood test.

Poor girl. She is a cutie. Her nares do look quite small and this can certainly cause breathing issues constantly but gasping in her sleep is a bit exaggerated and definitely worth a look. The vet needs to make sure she isn’t developing an upper airway infection and also make sure that she isn’t developing some kind of heart issue. I hope that your pet Bella does well moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

This situation does present challenges. Certainly keeping her lean is best for her in the long run. Too much added fat just makes breathing more difficult. A picture of your dog was not included, so I am not sure what her nose and nostrils look like, but a surgical procedure can be done to make the opening of the nostrils wider if they are very constructed. This can improve their ability to breathe without having to open mouth breathe. If your vet has never mentioned it, or maybe does not do the procedure-many vets do not- you can ask them for a referral to a veterinary surgeon who does. The surgery is basically like a cosmetic surgery but the benefits can be great. Other things to do are to reduce the humidity in your home, use a light fan where she rests, don't walk her too far or during hot parts of the day. It's great that she has a mom who is so willing to help her.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Beltre. I'm concerned about him. He is a French Bulldog, and some of these breathing problems could be due to the shape of his face. Dogs with the flatter face like him are prone to breathing issues, specifically brachychephalic airway disease. It could also be that he is suffering from allergies, which is why the Benadryl helps for a short period of time. Due to his issues, he needs to see a vet. I would take him into one in the morning. I hope this helps!