Dog breathing heavily and panting

Dog panting and breathing heavily: Causes to consider

There are several reasons to consider when a dog is panting and breathing heavily. After excessive exercise or in a high-temperature environment, a dog's breathing will become rapid, which is a normal physiological phenomenon, especially in dogs with short noses. The owner should promptly take the dog to a shady place to rest. Additionally, some diseases can also cause heavy breathing in dogs, such as respiratory infections, heart and lung diseases, and asthma.

1. Excessive Exercise

After strenuous exercise, a dog's breathing will become very rapid, and they may continuously pant. This is more evident in short-nosed dog breeds such as Pugs, and it is a relatively normal occurrence. The rapid breathing caused by exercise does not usually accompanied by nasal or chest cavity sounds, and the dog will not show signs of difficulty breathing. Generally, after a period of rest, the condition will improve. However, it is still not recommended to over-exercise dogs, as it can lead to dangerous situations for those dogs that are intolerant of exercise.

1. High Environmental Temperature

Due to the underdeveloped sweat glands in dogs, they cannot cool their bodies through perspiration. When the ambient temperature is very high, dogs will pant and breathe heavily to dissipate the excess heat in their bodies. This indicates that the environment is too hot, and the owner should promptly take the dog to a shady area to rest and provide a small amount of clean drinking water.

1. Respiratory Infection

When a dog's respiratory tract is severely infected, secretions such as mucus and phlegm in the nose will gradually increase and accumulate, but the body cannot absorb and dissolve them, thus blocking the dog's respiratory tract and causing heavy breathing. It is necessary to take the dog to the hospital for examination and treatment.

1. Cardio-pulmonary Disease

Heart diseases such as hypertrophy and valve thickening can impair the heart's blood supply capacity, and in severe cases, it can compress the lungs and cause difficulty breathing. This is more common in dogs with congenital heart disease or in older dogs.

1. Asthma

Allergy is one of the main causes of asthma, usually triggered by a specific substance in the environment. If the owner is unaware of the allergens that affect the dog and accidentally expose them to the dog, it can cause heavy breathing. It is recommended that the owner take the dog to the hospital to identify allergens and promptly undergo desensitization treatment.