Dog - reverse sneezes and not feeling well - UPDATE

[Pegasus]

I have a medium size all-American dog (aka mutt) who had several spells of reverse sneezing yesterday but generally acted ok between the spells. I've read up on the reverse sneezing and it is said to be benign (no cause for alarm).

 

Today, he hasn't yet had another spell of reverse sneezing but he is clearly not feeling well.  He refused to eat, refuses to play with our new kittens (whom he adores), not wanting to go out for walks, etc. 

 

Our vet is open until noon today but I'm not sure if I should take him in.  I'm considering giving him until Monday and if he is still acting poorly, taking him in then.  What do you think?

 

Also, the new kittens have been sniffling and sneezing but otherwise acting normally; could they have given him some sort of virus or something?

[Pawz4me]

Could be kennel cough.  Also referred to as bordetella or sometimes as tracheobronchitis or parainfluenza.  It's similar to a cold/upper respiratory infection or the flu.  Can be transmitted between dogs and cats.  Although your dog is acting sicker, it's probably more of a worry with the kittens if they're very young.  Normally with a healthy older puppy or adult dog you'd be fine to take a wait and see approach, as it often runs its course just like a cold would for us.  With kittens in the picture I'd at least give the vet a call.  How old are they?  How long have you had them?

 

FWIW, even if your dog is up to date on his bordetella vaccine he could still have it.  The vaccine has limited effectiveness.

 

I'm sure there are other things it could be, but this is my most likely guess.

[gingersmom]

The emergency vet is more expensive than the regular vet. Take him in. 

[Catwoman]

Definitely take him in today and see what's going on. Better safe than sorry!

[Pegasus]

Thanks everyone.  I was leaning towards waiting until Monday but when DH learned of the dog's symptoms, he called the vet and asked for advice. Since it is a weekend, they wanted to play it safe and see the dog before they closed. They did a physical but didn't really find anything specific wrong with him. His temp was normal and his lungs/heart sounded ok.  They offered to do bloodwork but said they were comfortable waiting until Monday and doing bloodwork then if he was still sick. We decided to wait.

 

The funny thing is, the dog perked up once we were inside the vet office.  His ears perked up and he was wagging his tail; quite a contrast to his tucked tail and ducked head position that he was using at home.  Once we got back home, he finally drank some water and ate his breakfast.  His has been sleeping most of the day since then.

 

The dog is vaccinated for kennel cough but I understand about it having limited effectiveness.  We've had the kittens for 2 weeks and they are around 3 months old. We did talk to the vet about the kittens and their symptoms as well.  She didn't seem too concerned with their sniffling/sneezing when we told her they were eating and playing like normal.

 

Thank you, everyone, for your input.  I know it is always best to get professional advise directly from the vet, but I appreciate the opportunity to pulse the hive!

[sparrow]

I'm glad your pup is feeling better. We have a dog that got into what seemed like cyclical reverse sneezing that really made him feel horrible for about 24 hours one time.  We waited it out and he was fine, but all day he'd go into one those reverse sneezing fits, wouldn't eat, and just kind of slept and moped. Next day, he was fine.

[Catwoman]

I'm glad you took him to the vet, and that it doesn't sound like anything serious. I always worry when it's the weekend, because I know we won't be able to see our regular vet (or doctor, for that matter!) until Monday.