Not everyone enjoys sharing a bed with a dog. It can be comforting to have that large Lab cuddled up against you, but you might be sharing your bed with a dog who likes to take up most of the mattress or hog the blankets. Of course, you can also have a snoring dog. Loudly.
You could find that last sentence to be the most difficult. People who snore loudly are frequently candidates for sleep apnea, a condition when you briefly stop breathing while you’re unconscious. Since it’s a serious medical issue for people, you might be concerned that your dog’s excessive snoring is an indication of a problem.
As it turns out, your dog’s snoring may be completely normal, but you are still right to be worried. So, if you’re debating whether to take your snorer to the vet, you should be aware of the following.
Some Dog Breeds Are Predisposed to Snoring
Do you own a Pug, Shih Tzu, or English bulldog? These breeds have brachycephalic skulls, which implies that your dog’s breathing tube is short and the skull is broad and short. It also implies that you are most likely the snorer’s pet parent.
Dr. Jeff Werber, a veterinarian with a private practice in Los Angeles and a reputation for looking after the pets of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Eva Longoria, Magic Johnson, and two of the Jonas brothers, says that as we breed dogs to have shorter snouts, the soft palate in the back of their throat doesn’t change, and that can be a problem (Kevin and Nick).
Dr. Werber claims that many factors, particularly in the case of breeds with smaller snouts, can contribute to your dog snoring. The position of your dog’s body while sleeping, the contour of its neck, and the size of its nose are all elements that can affect how well your dog breathes. Dr. Werber claims that “it can all contribute to the snoring.”
None of this implies that, if you own a dog of a particular breed, such as a collie or a greyhound, you are excused from taking your pet to the veterinarian to have his snoring evaluated. For example, if you own a Boston terrier. However, with the smaller breeds, you should be alert for any potential problems.
Two of the five dogs (and six cats) that DR. Werber has are French bulldogs. He claims that as soon as he received them, he realized he would be forced to listen to some intriguing sounds. Dr. Werber claims that he frequently moves his dogs’ positions to halt snoring when it becomes too noisy. Some pet experts even advise purchasing a humidifier, which improves air moisture and can improve sleep for both humans and dogs.
What Causes a Dog to Snore? It All Comes Down to Breathing
Similar to people, dogs typically snore when airflow is impeded in the throat or nasal passages.
Dogs sometimes prefer to sleep on their backs, which results in their tongue partially obstructing some of the airflow in their passages, which can contribute to canine snoring. Alternatively, your dog could snore due to an allergy to dust or secondhand smoking.
There are also severe health conditions to take into account, such as a tooth abscess that travels into the sinuses of the nose or even sleep apnea. Of fact, both illnesses may call for surgery.
However, according to Dr. Carol Osborne, owner of the Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center & Pet Clinic in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a sleep apnea diagnosis for a dog is incredibly uncommon. Snoring is frequently a sign of hypothyroidism in dogs, which is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces insufficient amounts of the hormone that regulates metabolism, according to Dr. Osborne. Although it does necessitate keeping your dog on medication for the remainder of its life, it’s a reasonably affordable health repair.
In order to diagnose hypothyroidism, the veterinarian must take a small blood sample and send it to the laboratory. If the thyroid levels are found to be low, Dr. Osborne explains, “we just give your dog some medication—a little tablet—and the problem goes away virtually immediately.”
Another Cause for Snoring in Dogs: Excess Weight
According to Dr. Osborne, one of her patients is a Pomeranian who ought to weigh nine pounds but is actually 17 pounds.
“You must be cautious when informing someone that their pet is overweight. It’s an excellent way to lose a customer, “says Dr. Osborne.
She did, however, inform her customer, and they are now collaborating to reduce the Pomeranian’s weight. Extra fat can build up in the throat of an overweight or morbidly obese dog, obstructing the airways and resulting in snoring.
Signs You Should Get Your Dog’s Snoring Checked Out
According to Dr. Werber, snoring in a dog that has never snored before should be investigated.
“If he has an issue with his nose, such as a serious infection, we would want to know about it. Are we observing something in their throat’s back? However, if your dog has always snored, he is otherwise content, playful, and active, and the snoring only occurs at night, then you shouldn’t be concerned.”
Actually, that might not be the best phrase to use. You can be getting anything but rest if your dog is snoring loudly all night long. So what is the answer?
Is my dog’s snoring a cause for concern?
Your dog or cat is probably fine if they have always snored. The moment has come to see the vet, though, if the snoring starts off suddenly or if it is coupled with other symptoms. Contact Crown Veterinary Specialists right away for more details on pets and snoring.
Blocked nasal passages
Similar to people, dogs snore when their throats or nasal passages are blocked. It may be as simple as your dog laying on his back, which is very normal and can cause this. It is possible for the tongue to revert back toward the throat, obstructing easy breathing.
Obesity
Obesity is another typical factor in dog snoring. Although you may believe that giving your dog treats is helping him, this could actually be the main reason why his breathing is noisy. According to Dr. Carol Osborne, owner of Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center & Pet Clinic, obese dogs may develop an accumulation of extra fat in their throats. She informed PetMD.
Extra fat can build up in the throat of an overweight or morbidly obese dog, obstructing the airways and resulting in snoring.
Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea is another potential but less likely reason why your dog is snoring. This sickness can affect dogs just like it can humans, but it is considerably less prevalent. People and animals with sleep apnoea have very shallow breathing during sleep, and occasionally they cease breathing entirely. They typically recommence breathing with a sharp inhale that sounds like snoring. It’s crucial to take your dog to the doctor to get examined if you have any concerns that he may have sleep apnea.
Why does my dog snore?
Snoring can result from any airway irritation. Allergies, trauma, infections, or irritants like smoke or perfumes can cause inflammation. Airway obstruction might also result in snoring. Your dog’s throat will be examined by your veterinarian for polyps and other tumors that can develop there.
Do dogs start to snore as they age?
In their later years, dogs frequently snore more loudly. This is typically caused by partial or total laryngeal paralysis, which could have underlying causes or could just be the result of nerve aging. The larynx then collapses, preventing airflow. When your dog is napping, you can really tell. Your dog, however, may be in danger of collapsing or overheating if it happens when they are excited or exercising. To lower this risk, snoring surgery can be performed to tie the larynx open.
Which dog breeds snore?
The French Bulldog is a smaller variation of the Bulldog with greater inner-city characteristics. Due to their non-barking traits and ease of toilet training, Frenchies are renowned for being excellent apartment dogs. However, despite their reduced barking, these canines are still renowned for being boisterous. One of the canine breeds that is well renowned for its loud snoring is the French Bulldog.
Does having a dog in the bed make you sleep better?
The amount of time you actually spend sleeping in bed is measured by your sleep efficiency score. According to a recent study, those who slept with a dog in their bedroom maintained better routines and could sleep more soundly.
Participants wore a sleep tracker during seven nights together with their dogs. They discovered that while dogs slept more soundly than humans, people only managed to sleep 81 percent of the time. For comparison, a score of 100 indicates ideal sleep efficiency. Try sleeping with your dog if you’re feeling drowsy in the morning!
What signs does my dog provide of his love?
We freely admit that we love our dogs as dog owners. Why else would we get out of a warm bed and bring them outside in the early morning cold? Why do we take them home for dinner after leaving a wonderful restaurant before dessert? Why do we forgive them right away after they eat our favorite slippers? For many of us, it would be an understatement to suggest that dogs are “man’s best friend. However, the nagging query is, “Do our dogs love us back?”
What does research say?
An inventive group of researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, used a clinical method to study dogs’ emotional states. The scientists subjected them to several smells while using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to scan their brains. Data on the canines’ emotional states came from changes in brain function.
Why do smells exist? Dogs use their sense of smell to explore their surroundings. Dogs, unlike humans, actually rely more on smell than sight to understand their environment. Dogs’ emotional states are reflected in how they interpret and react to odours. The canine brain was stimulated during the experiment using smells. The brain responses of dogs to the smells of both known and strange persons and pets were observed using MRI.
According to the study, a dog’s reward center (the caudate nucleus) was stimulated when it detected the familiar scent of its owner. Numerous dopamine receptors are found in the caudate nucleus, which, like the canine brain, becomes active in response to pleasurable experiences in human brains. For instance, the aroma of your favorite dish boiling on the stove may stimulate your memory. The canines responded more favorably to human aromas than to the scent of canine friends out of all the smells provided to them. And when a dog truly scented a familiar person, their caudate nucleus was most strongly engaged. Humans react similarly when they see images of the individuals they care about.
The caudate nucleus of a dog responds most strongly to the smell of a familiar person.
Budapest-based researchers investigated canine brain activity in a related study to understand what happens in the dog’s brain when we speak to them. Similar to how the human brain reacts to pleasant noises, the canine brain activates the auditory cortex in response. This demonstrates how well humans and dogs can communicate, supporting the relationship between humans and animals.
Science has taught us that dogs are sociable, emotional creatures who react to human sounds and odours. They respond to the scent of us and the tone of our voice with joy. Science demonstrates that a portion of the canine brain is connected to pleasant emotions, and that dogs actually sense affection for the people they live with.
How can you tell if your dog loves you?
Here are several signs that show your dog loves you more than just a new bag of chow and a stroll around the park:
- Your dog greets you with joy. When you enter through the door, your dog could leap, bark, and become too emotional. He might be more subdued, however, and only wag his tail to the right when he hears your greeting.
- Your dog brings you gifts. Your dog occasionally brings you his favorite toy prepared for play, but more frequently, he gives it to you as a gift. He desires to “sharing his favorite item with the one he loves.
- Only food is more important than your dog. Your dog craves you more than food! Canines reside in the “now. They will put aside social engagement when they are starving and given a bowl of food in favor of the pleasure of a satisfying meal. Dogs want you though when the bowl is empty! After meals, many dogs prefer to cuddle with their owners.
- Your dog enjoys joining you in bed. When resting in the outdoors, dogs naturally lie in a protective position to protect themselves from potential hazards to their environment. They stand with their backs to the other pack members to create a protective circle while pointing their noses to the wind to detect any danger. They are showing that they trust you and see you as a member of their pack by being willing to cuddle up next to you on the couch. You are a member of their close-knit family.
- Your dog gives you a kind gaze. In the canine world, making direct eye contact might be viewed as aggressive behavior. In order to respect the dominant dog when two dogs first meet, one will turn away. Your dog is bestowing you with a loving stare when his eyes are relaxed and his pupils are of normal size.
- Your dog doesn’t give a damn about how you look. The likelihood that your dog will embrace you when you have bad breath in the morning, after a sweaty workout, or when your hair is out of control is high. Dogs truly do love us without conditions.
- Your dog is always right behind you. Consider yourself adored if you feel as though your dog must follow you around the house at all times. Dogs attach to you for reasons other than safety. They crave your companionship more than other human companions do.
Better now? You can now feel confident in the love your dog has for you. The puppy adores you!
