What clinical term describes the noisy breathing often heard with nasal obstruction in dogs?

• A. Stertor
• B. Stridor
• C. Wheeze
• D. Cough

Answer: (A)

Stertor is the muffled, snoring-type noise produced by vibration of the soft tissues in the upper airway when air must pass through narrowed nasal passages. In dogs with nasal obstruction from rhinitis, tumors, or foreign bodies, this partial blockage causes air to move with a turbulent, vibrating flow, resulting in a stertorous sound that is often heard without a stethoscope, especially during inspiration. This contrasts with stridor, which is a high-pitched, musical noise from a narrowed larynx or trachea, and with wheeze, a musical sound from lower airway obstruction. Cough is a reflex sound from irritation of the airways and isn’t the typical noise associated with nasal blockage.