Introduction
Panting is a common behavior seen in dogs, often observed after physical activity or in warm weather. It is a natural way for dogs to regulate their body temperature since they do not sweat like humans do. Understanding the reasons behind why dogs pant can help pet owners recognize when their furry friends might be in distress or experiencing health issues.
The Purpose of Panting: Cooling Off and Communication
A dog’s cool-down routine
Unlike humans, dogs primarily cool themselves through panting. When dogs pant, it helps them release excess heat by expelling moisture from their lungs, nasal passages, and tongue. This cooling mechanism is essential for dogs, especially in hot weather or after vigorous physical activity. Providing your dog with access to water after panting is crucial to help them rehydrate and regulate their body temperature.
The “let’s play” pant
In addition to cooling off, dogs also pant as a way to communicate. Some dogs may pant in a specific pattern to signal their desire to play. This playful panting behavior is a form of communication that dogs use to interact with their human or canine companions, often accompanied by other playful gestures like a play bow or presenting a toy.
Signs of Abnormal Panting and What They Indicate
While panting is normal for dogs, excessive or abnormal panting can indicate underlying medical issues that require attention. It’s essential for pet owners to be familiar with the signs of abnormal panting and understand what they may indicate:
- Overheating: Intense, prolonged panting can be a sign of heatstroke in dogs. Other symptoms to watch for include elevated heart rate, drooling, and a body temperature over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Obesity: Excessive panting in overweight dogs may signal an overworked cardiovascular system. In addition to labored breathing, obese dogs are at risk of joint pain and various health conditions.
- Poisoning: Heavy, prolonged panting, along with other symptoms such as drooling and rapid heart rate, can indicate poisoning in dogs. Immediate veterinary attention is necessary if poisoning is suspected.
- Injury: Panting in response to pain or injury, accompanied by symptoms like enlarged pupils and anxiety, may indicate trauma in dogs that requires veterinary evaluation.
- Congestive heart failure: Persistent coughing, difficulty breathing, and weight loss are common signs of heart failure in dogs. While there is no cure for this condition, proper management can improve the dog’s quality of life.
- Cushing’s disease: Excessive panting, along with a thinning coat and increased thirst, could be signs of Cushing’s disease in dogs. Treatment options vary and should be discussed with a veterinarian.
- Pneumonia: Heavy breathing, lethargy, and coughing may indicate pneumonia in dogs. Prompt veterinary care is necessary to address this potentially serious respiratory infection.
Understanding these signs of abnormal panting can help pet owners take appropriate action to ensure their dog’s health and well-being.
Common Causes of Abnormal Panting
Overheating
Dogs pant to cool off, but intense, prolonged panting is one sign of heatstroke.
- Other symptoms: Elevated heart rate, drooling, vomiting, body temperature over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
- What to do: Cool down your dog by moving him to an air-conditioned area, and offer fresh water to drink. Submerge him in cool (but not cold) water, or apply ice packs to your dog’s chest, neck and head areas. Then, get him to the vet for treatment.
Obesity
If your chunky puppy is always huffing and puffing, even after a moderate amount of movement, it can indicate your dog’s cardiovascular system is working overtime.
- Other symptoms: In addition to the labored breathing, overweight dogs can often develop joint pain. Excess pounds can increase the dog’s risk of hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and shorten their lives by up to two years.
- What to do: In the short term, over-exercising your dog can be dangerous, so while longer walks and play sessions are a good idea, be sure and increase these sessions gradually. In the long term, carrying extra weight can have serious health ramifications for your dog.
Poisoning
Heavy prolonged panting that lasts more than 30 minutes is one sign that your dog has eaten something he shouldn’t have. Certain types of foods, household plants, medications or supplements issued for human use, not to mention household chemicals, are all things that sicken or even kill your dog.
- Other symptoms: Your dog’s physical response will depend on what they ingested. Watch for excess drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, unsteadiness on the feet, rapid heart rate, and gums that are blue, purple or white.
- What to do: Take your dog to the emergency vet clinic, and bring along the packaging from the ingested item.
Injury
Dogs pant in response to pain and injury. Sometimes, it’s not always clear they’ve been hurt, especially if they sustained a blow on the abdomen area.
- Other symptoms: Enlarged pupils, reduced appetite, not wanting to lie down, increased anxiety, licking and biting on a specific body part.
- What to do: These signs can indicate your dog is suffering from trauma and needs to be seen by a vet immediately.
Congestive heart failure
This occurs when the heart struggles to pump adequate blood supplies to the rest of the body, causing fluid to collect in the lungs and body cavities. When this chronic condition develops, it’s usually late in the dog’s life.
- Other symptoms: The most common sign of heart failure in dogs is a persistent cough, along with difficulty breathing, even while at rest or asleep. Other signs are weight loss, a reduction in muscle mass, fatigue and a reduced interest in walking and playing.
- What to do: It’s important to understand there’s no cure for congestive heart failure, which means this can come as deeply upsetting news to pet parents. Once your pet’s health care provider makes a diagnosis, they can tell you more about your dog’s prognosis and what can be done to manage the disease.
Cushing’s disease
A chronic endocrine condition that affects dogs when they reach middle age or their senior years. This occurs when the pituitary gland produces excess cortisol, which means your dog’s body is in a constant state of stress.
- Other symptoms: Thinning coat, increased appetite, drinking water to excess, development of a pot belly.
- What to do: This disease takes different forms, and a vet may recommend treatment through medication or surgery.
Pneumonia
A lung infection that makes breathing difficult. This usually develops from a cold, but it also occurs when your pet inhales droplets of water, bits of food or other substances.
- Other symptoms: Coughing, lethargy, fever, reduced appetite and heavy breathing.
- What to do: Because this infection could be bacterial rather than viral, it’s essential to seek treatment so your pet can recover.
Despite being unable to speak their feelings, dogs communicate through panting, giving us cues to assist them when in need.
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