Reasons A Dog Might Suddenly Pant
Heavy exercise: It’s normal for a dog to pant after exertion, and you can expect his breathing to return to normal after he rests. If he gets regular exercise, he’ll recover more quickly. Hard exercise, such as chasing a ball, will cause more panting than a stroll around the block.
Heat: Dogs don’t sweat, so the only way they can cool themselves is by panting. On a hot day, limit your dog’s exercise, especially if he is a snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breed such as a Pug, Bulldog or Boxer. These breeds can quickly succumb to heat exhaustion, even after no exercise at all on a warm day. If your dog is drooling excessively, doesn’t want to get up and walk, seems confused, has a rapid heartbeat, or suddenly collapses, heatstroke may be the cause. Read more here.
Anxiety/Fear: Panting, yawning, blinking, lip licking, and pacing are all signs of stress. Thunderstorms, car rides, or meeting new dogs can all cause anxiety, and your dog’s physical signs and body language are the only way he can tell you he’s uncomfortable.
Insect or snakebite: A bee sting can cause an allergic reaction in a dog, just as it does in humans. In addition to panting and drooling, the bite site might swell. In an extreme case, the dog may collapse. The same signs might indicate snakebite.
Poison: Snail bait, rat poison, antifreeze, and other household items can quickly make your dog really sick. Signs include panting, seizures, lethargy, and vomiting. If you suspect your dog has ingested something toxic, take him to the veterinarian immediately, even if it’s late at night.
Injury: You throw the ball for Rex, and he suddenly cries out as he runs after it. As he limps back to you, he is panting and whimpers when he puts weight on his rear leg. Even a minor injury can be painful and cause him to pant.
Bloat: This life-threatening condition requires immediate veterinary care. It is most common in large, deep-chested dogs. If your dog is panting, salivating, biting at his sides, pacing, and retching without vomiting, bloat is a possibility, especially if he has recently eaten. Read more about bloat.
2. Pain Excessive panting is a common symptom of discomfort or pain. In fact, dogs who are uncomfortable often exhibit panting well before more obvious indicators of pain, such as whining or limping, arise. 3. Heart failure When the heart is doing an inadequate job of pumping blood around the body, the tissues become deprived of oxygen. One of the best ways to correct this oxygen depletion is by increasing the respiratory rate, and this often results in panting. 4. Lung disease The lungs are where the transfer of oxygen to the bloodstream takes place. When lung disease prevents this from occurring, oxygen deprivation results. Just as is the case with heart failure, the natural response of the dog is to breathe faster and harder which translates into excessive and exertional panting. 5. AnemiaAnemia is defined as a decrease in the red blood cell count. Given that red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to the body’s tissues, it makes sense that moderate or severe anemia results in oxygen deprivation. Just as is the case with heart failure and lung disease, the dog’s natural response to this is escalated respirations and panting. 6. Laryngeal paralysis The larynx is the opening to the windpipe (trachea). It contains cartilage flaps that operate like saloon doors- opening wide during breathing and closing during swallowing. With laryngeal paralysis, one or both of the laryngeal cartilages fail to open normally, creating turbulent, restricted airflow and panting that is often raspy sounding and much louder than usual. 7. Cushing’s diseaseCushing’s disease is a hormonal imbalance that occurs primarily in middle aged and older dogs. It is caused by the overproduction of cortisone (steroids) by the adrenal glands. One of the earliest and most common symptoms of this disease is excessive and inappropriate panting. Successful treatment of the Cushing’s disease typically resolves the abnormal panting. 8. Cortisone (steroid) therapy Treatment with prednisone, prednisolone, or other forms of cortisone mimics Cushing’s disease (see above). Many dogs receiving steroids demonstrate excessive and inappropriate panting that typically goes away within a few weeks after the medication is discontinued. Abnormal panting deserves attention! Observation of abnormal panting should prompt an office visit with your veterinarian, even if everything else about your dog appears to be perfectly normal. The sooner the cause of the abnormal panting is discovered, the greater the likelihood of a good outcome. Questions for your veterinarian
As temperatures rise, so too do the numbers of dogs we see panting. We tend to take this behavior for granted simply because it seems so darned normal. But, is it always normal? While most panting occurs as a means of counteracting overheating (the canine version of sweating), it can also be prompted for a whole host of other reasons. Normal panting Dogs rely on panting as their primary means for getting rid of excess body heat. Panting allows evaporation of water and heat across the moist surfaces of the lungs, tongue, and surfaces within the mouth. So it makes physiologic sense for a dog to pant on a hot day or following exercise. Dogs do have sweat glands on the undersides of their paws and within their ears, but these glands really have only minimal cooling capabilities. Abnormal panting Panting is considered abnormal when it occurs for reasons other than heat dissipation, and can be recognized by one or more of the following characteristics:
Dog Panting Heavily: Frequently Asked Questions
It’s easiest to determine excessive panting if you know your dog’s normal breathing rate. Also, most of the time, panting is a concern if it occurs suddenly or for no apparent reason, is unusually harsh, or is accompanied by other symptoms such as shaking, discolored tongue or gums, or the appearance of being in pain.
Not usually, but heavy panting can be indicative of an emergency. The most common emergency reason for heavy panting is heatstroke, which is a life-threatening condition that needs to be dealt with immediately. If you’re not sure whether your pet is in serious trouble, call your vet.
Is panting a sign of anxiety in dogs?
We all know dogs pant for thermoregulation. But panting can provide information about the dog’s emotional state as well. Dogs pant when under heat or physical stress or psychological stress. Panting also can appear associated with any type of arousal or exertion (e.g. excitement, aggression, or anxiety).
Figure 1: This is a relatively neutral, temperature related pant. The dog’s facial expression is alert but relaxed. While there is some caudal retraction of the commissures of the lips, the lips themselves have a downward relaxed droop. Additionally, the span of the tongue and protrusion of the mouth are commensurate with the amount of lip retraction.
Figure 2: This dog also shows a relaxed pant. Again, the ears and facial expression are relaxed. The eyes are soft and there is no excessive wrinkling or tension of the skin and muscles on the face. The dog’s lips have a pronounced downward droop and there is no extension of the tongue out of the mouth.
Figures 3 and 4: This is a relaxed pant related to heat and exertion. There is marked protrusion of the tongue with expansion of the tip into the “spoon” appearance. While there is notable caudal retraction of the lips, there is again a lot of downward droop. In the second photo, this downward droop makes a pucker at the commissure as the retraction of the commissure causes the lip to slightly fold over or bulge outward. Again, otherwise the skin and muscles are relatively smooth and the eyes are soft – no exposure of the sclera . This dog would exhibit normal frequent and “full” blinking of the eyes.
Figure 5: Compare this photo to Figure 1. In this photo, the dog is showing more anxiety compared to Figure 1. The tongue is extended about the same amount; however, there is more caudal lip retraction and more “upward” lift of the lips themselves. There is more tension and wrinkling of the skin and muscles along the muzzle and particularly under the eyes. Additionally, the ears are slightly dropped at the base.
Figure 6: This is another dog with an anxious element to the pant. The level of retraction of the commissures of the lips is excessive as compared to the amount of tongue extension. The dog’s mouth is open relatively wide, yet there is very little “spooning” or expansion of the tip of the tongue as would be expected for more effective heat dissipation.
Figure 7: This photo shows an almost pure anxiety/fear related pant. There is marked lip retraction with no protrusion of the tongue. The lips are vertically elevated (no downward droop) to the point that almost all of the dog’s teeth are visible. (Compare this to all the other photos where there is NO exposure of the upper canine teeth.) The scleras are visible (“whale eye”) and the ears are rolled back in a high stress position. This dog would likely show little and/or abbreviated blinking.