How to diagnose dog symptoms panting

Dogs pant when they are hot, but panting can also be a symptom of an illness or a sign of stress. If your dog is panting excessively it’s not a reason to rush to the emergency vet, but is definitely something to monitor.

The average dog in good health takes approximately 15to 20 breaths per minute. Being familiar with your dog’s normal breathing patterns will help you to spot any irregularities. Some of the more serious causes of panting can be pain, heat stroke, anemia, or internal hemorrhaging. If your dog is panting in the extreme or appears to be suffering seek veterinarian assistance.

Panting can also be a symptom of lungworm or heartworm, both of which require medical treatment, but more often frequent dog panting is caused by obesity or stress. An obese dog may literally feel crushed by his weight. Obese dogs are increasingly becoming a problem in the US. Luckily, controlling your obese dog diet is much easier than controlling your own! Just as for humans, the treatment for obese dogs is more exercise and less food. Make sure your obese dog is getting the exercise he needs. Not only will a daily walk help his weight, but regular exercise can prevent many of the painful and expensive to treat ailments that frequently occur as a dog ages. Exercise in a large backyard is not enough for an obese dog; instead obese dogs need you as a personal trainer to help them get the exercise they need. In investigating our panting dog and consulting with vets and other dog people we heard about several dogs who, even when relaxed, healthy, and cool just panted frequently. Apparently, some deep chested dogs may pant for no other reason than it’s comfortable for them.