TL;DR: Saw-like breathing, or stridor, indicates a partial upper airway obstruction and requires a veterinary exam within 24 hours, or immediate emergency care if your dog collapses or has blue-tinted gums.
What causes my dog to make a saw-like breathing sound?
- This harsh, raspy noise is medically known as stridor.
- It typically occurs when there is a partial obstruction or narrowing in the upper airway, most commonly at the level of the larynx (voice box) or the trachea (windpipe).
- In older, large-breed dogs, this is frequently associated with a condition called laryngeal paralysis, where the airway does not open fully during inhalation.
Is saw-like breathing in dogs considered a veterinary emergency?
- The urgency level for this symptom is Medium; if your dog is acting normally otherwise, you should schedule a veterinary appointment within 24 hours.
- The condition can quickly escalate into a life-threatening crisis if the airway becomes completely blocked or if the dog becomes overheated.
- Seek emergency veterinary care immediately if you notice a blue or purple tint to the tongue, extreme panting, or if your dog collapses.
How can a video of my dog's breathing help the veterinarian with a diagnosis?
- Capturing a short video of the episode is vital because breathing sounds can be intermittent or triggered by excitement.
- A video allows your veterinarian to see the effort of the chest muscles and hear the specific pitch of the sound.
- This visual evidence helps differentiate between upper airway issues like laryngeal paralysis and lower airway issues like bronchitis, ensuring a faster and more accurate triage process.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Partial large airway obstruction in dogs can manifest as noisy breathing, such as stridor or stertor, which can be auscultated without a stethoscope. This may be accompanied by cyanosis and anxiety. Compromise of the extrathoracic airway (nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, or cervical trachea) may be the cause. Possible etiologies of large airway pathology include foreign bodies, edema, laryngeal paralysis or paresis, tracheal collapse, elongated soft palate, aspiration of stomach contents, neoplasia, and pharyngeal hematomas. Dogs with upper respiratory tract obstruction may exhibit a marked expiratory stridor, often extending the head and forelegs to maximize airflow. A thrill may be palpated at or just below the larynx in association with the obstructed expiratory effort and stridor. In severe cases of airway obstruction, the animal may be unconscious and apneic, requiring immediate tracheal intubation to relieve the obstruction.
Chapter: Emergency, Anesthesiology, Respiratory
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 1662)