If your dog is sneezing, it could be a sign of a serious problem. Here’s how I explained it to a reader whose dog kept sneezing and snorting.

Q: My dog is snorting and sneezing a lot. What could be wrong with him?

A: Problems affecting the canine nose can range from minor to serious. Figuring out what’s causing the problem can take a little detective work.

Rhinitis is an infection of the nasal cavity and can affect dogs of any age. Sinusitis is an infection of the sinuses. Many dogs have a combination of the two and show signs such as sneezing, bloody or mucuslike discharge, or coughing from postnasal drip.

Aspergillus is a type of fungus that can invade the nasal cavity. We see it most typically in young or middle-aged dogs with long or medium-length muzzles. Common signs of this fungal infection are a heavy, mucuslike discharge, discoloration of the nostrils, apparent facial pain and occasionally nasal bleeding.

Dogs that have snuffled up a foreign object into the nose — a bean, a foxtail or even a blade of grass — usually sneeze violently, paw at the nose in a fruitless attempt to remove the item and may have a thick or bloody nasal discharge. Sometimes a veterinarian can remove foreign bodies with tweezers while the dog is sedated or anesthetized, but surgery may be necessary for an object lodged deeply in the nose. Don’t try to remove objects yourself; you may make the problem worse.

Older dogs may develop tumors in the nasal cavity. The tumors may cause sneezing or sniffling, a runny nose or bleeding from one nostril. Some tumors can block airflow, making it difficult for the dog to breathe.

Like any health problem, nasal disease is easiest to treat before it becomes advanced. Nosebleeds, discharge and excessive sneezing aren’t normal. Signs of facial pain include pawing at the face or loss of appetite. Take your dog to the veterinarian at the first sign of irritation of that sensitive snout.

There’s more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

The number one question I get asked? “What should I feed my dog?” I don’t mean by my own clients, but via email or social media. Here’s my advice on how to decide what to feed your dog, or what to use to control fleas and other parasites.

Q: There are so many options regarding what to feed my dog or use for parasite control. How can I make an educated choice?

A: The choice of pet food you put in your cart (in store or online) has largely been driven by marketing, packaging and store employee recommendations. A pet store or farm and garden store employee’s recommendation is often based on what pet food line representative was just there presenting information about their company’s products, or sometimes they’re incentivized to sell a certain brand of food.

It can be the same routine regarding parasite control products for preventing or treating fleas, ticks, mosquitos and internal parasites such as roundworms and hookworms. The recommendation winds shift based on manufacturer sales materials or the uninformed employee simply recommending the product they use or that sells best.

My father used to tell me that when you want to buy a new washer or dryer, ask appliance repair people what brand they use in their own home. Similarly, ask car mechanics what brand of oil they used in their vehicles. Experts know how well a product is made, how reliably it works and whether it’s a value. Nobody knows pet foods and parasite control products as well as veterinarians.

We have extensive training in animal nutrition and parasitology. We attend conferences or online webinars to learn more about these issues. Plus, we’ve seen real-world evidence of how these products work with pets.

The way to make an educated choice of what product is best for your pet is to simply ask the veterinarian or veterinary nurse, “What do you feed your pets?” or “What parasite control products do you use with your pets?” Once they tell you, ask, “Do you think that is the best food/parasite control product for my cat(s)/dog(s)?”

There’s more – including the healing power of pets in times of grief and loss – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.