Should this be a thing of concern if your dog is breathing fast? Okay let’s take a chill pill. This is a fairly popular question among dog owners. It can be really disturbing if you don’t know what to do.
In previous articles and if you’ve actually taken your time to study dogs properly. You’ll realize that dogs and humans are more alike than we can care to admit.
For humans for instance, humans tend to breathe really fast after engaging in something very stressful, fear or anxiety etc. Funny enough it’s almost the same in dogs. Get ready as we discuss reasons for dog breathing fast.
Why is my dog breathing so fast while sleeping?
There a couple of reasons why dog breathes fast. Younger dogs are likely going to breathe so fast while sleeping when compared to older dogs.
Why is this ?
This is because, puppies dream more than adult dogs. Really? So dogs dream? Yes they do. I guess I’ll have to make another article to discuss that properly.
Like I said earlier , dogs are a lot like humans. During a dog’s sleep cycle it goes through a phase called “REM Phase”. REM stand for Rapid Eye Movement, during this phase , large amount of energy is needed and a large amount of oxygen will be required which in turn will make the dogs breathe so fast while sleeping.
Older dogs don’t experience this REM Phase as frequently as younger dogs so the chances of them breathing so fast while sleeping is slim . It’s perfectly normal when an older dog breathes very fast while sleeping for a short period of time , you need to worry when it starts to linger over a long period of time.
How To Know If Your Dog Is Breathing Fast or Too Fast
To know if your dog is breathing fast or too fast. You need to know a dogs normal breathing rate
On the average , the normal breathing rate for dogs is 30 breaths per minute , the moment your dog’s breath every 60 seconds crosses 35, then you should be worried . To successfully detect this ,you need to ensure your head’s in the right place and you’re not distracted or disturbed to avoid miscalculation.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Breathing Fast
• Monitor your dog’s breathing rate
A dog’s breathing rate or rate of a dog breathing is the total amount of times a dog breathes within 60 seconds. Occasionally it’s advisable to monitor your dog’s breathing rate especially when it is asleep. 20 – 35 breaths per minute is considered normal , it becomes worrisome when it crosses 35 to around 40 – 60 breaths per minute(every 60 seconds).
• Watch out for excessive or noisy panting
It’s more or less like the last one ,to prevent your dog from breathing fast , watch out for excessive or noisy panting and do something about it immediately , before it escalates .
• Monitor Food They Eat
Another way to curb dog breathing fast is to monitor what they eat. I know I said that dogs are a lot like humans , but there are a couple of differences. Food like Onions and Garlic don’t digest properly in dogs so it’s advisable to ensure that you keep stuffs like that far away from your dog especially when it is drawing close to their bed time .
• Prevent Them From Exposure To Heat
One major cause or reason for dog breathing fast is heat stroke. Ensure that ;
1. your dog is kept in a cool and conducive area
2. you avoid keeping your dog locked up in your car , especially during a period of intense heat
3. you keep your dog indoors during summer or during heat wave
12 Reasons Why Your Dog Is Breathing Fast
1. Food Poisoning
I already talked about this earlier, onions and garlic disturbs your dog’s tommy due to indigestion. This in turn makes your dog breathe very fast .
2. Heart Issue
Dogs that have issues with their heart will most likely breathe very fast. Why ?
The function of the heart is to pump blood needed for the body yeah? And this blood has to be rich in oxygen and oxygen is gotten by inhalation. In a situation where it can no longer function as it should a dog will breathe very fast to increase the quantity of oxygen thereby making up for the issues the heart has.
3. Anaemia
A dog is said to to anaemic when it doesn’t have sufficient, healthy red blood cells and this causes obstruction in the free flow of oxygen into the body. A dog will likely breathe fast in order to breathe in more oxygen..
4. Heat Stroke
Some breeds of dogs , like dogs with very small noses that have difficulty breathing are very prone to heat strokes. Heat stroke is a condition where the body overheats when it spends too much time in an extremely hot environment and it’s internal cooling system cannot control it. To avoid this , immediately after your dog goes through an exercise or spends time in the hot sun , give it a cool shower or anything that can assist it’s internal cooling system cos heat stroke can be deadly. Obese and over fed dogs are also very prone to heat stroke .
5. Pain
This is a very common reason for a dog breathing fast. In fact a lot of people who see their dogs breathing fast immediately assume that the dog is going through pain. Well , they might be right.
6. Exercise
Just like humans that breathe fast after undergoing a very strenuous and rigorous exercise, dogs do the same too. They have to breathe very fast to assist their internal cooling system to regulate their temperature.
7. BOAS
BOAS, Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome is a condition that affects dogs with small noses Their small nose restricts sufficient oxygen from entering into their blood stream so they’ll have to breathe in really fast. Some dogs with this condition include ; Pugs, Bull Dogs and Boxers
8. Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is not that common in dogs , in most cases the cancer must have spread from another part of the dog’s body.The lung is an important respiratory organ in the body , when this important organ is affect by a cancerous lump in will in turn result in the dog breathing rapidly.
9. Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a condition where the lungs or the lower respiratory tract gets infected which causes difficulty in breathing.
10. Paralysis of the Larynx
Larynx also known as the “voice box” is the pathway that opens during breathing or barking. Paralysis of the Larynx also known as Laryngeal Paralysis is a situation or condition that causes the Larynx to no longer perform its function as it should. This can inturn affect the dog’s voice , cause and cough and laboured breathing.
11. Collapse of The Tracheal
The Tracheal is another respiratory organ that acts as a wind pipe, when it collapses , the space for air to pass through the windpipe is reduced resulting in a dog breathing fast.
12. Anxiety
Anxiety and panic attacks are pretty common among dogs , especially younger dogs. In a previous article I talked at length on this . When you see your dog breathing fast , watch out for anxiety. For a dog scared of the dark for instance, if you leave such a dog in a lightly dim place it’ll start to breathe rapidly showing signs of anxiety .
How To Fix/Treat Dog Breathing Fast While Sleeping/Awake
• Steam Therapy
This involves you taking your dog into your bathroom and keep it in the hot tub then ensure that all windows and doors are close them give the dog an hot shower for a few minutes to inhale this moisture-laden steam
• When your dog is asleep you can gently wake it up while trying to monitor its breathing rate then gently put it back to sleep.
• Use Medications
There are certain medications you can give hit dog to treat the issue of dog breathing fast. Some medications could include the use of coconut oil, but it’s always advisable not to just use over the counter drugs but contact your vet . The type of drug to be used depends on type of symptoms you see , like a dog facing anxiety issue will have to use a drug for managing anxiety and it’ll be disastrous if the dog is given drugs for heart failure .
• Give It Rest
So many times the best way to fix and treat a dog breathing fast is giving it rest in a cool and conducive space .
• See Your Vet
No one understands a dog’s ailment like a Vet. If you are the busy type or you want to avoid stories that touch , contact your Vet as soon as possible.
When Do You Need To Contact Your Vet
You know it is time to contact your Vet when;
• the color of the dogs tongue changes
• the dog loses appetite
• the dog loses weight
• the dog coughs excessively
• the dog becomes quieter
• the dog has diarrhea or vomits
In Summary
Thanks for reading my article “12 Reasons Why Your Dog Is Breathing Fast and How To Fix It”. It’s crystal clear that a dog breathing fast can be caused by so many reasons ranging from anxiety to heart disease or respiration issues. We also talked about a dog’s breathing rate while at sleep and when to get worried. It’s important to note that there are so many reasons for a dog breathing fast and every one out there as a thing or so to say about this topic but no one will have an in depth knowledge like an experienced Vet. Emphasis on experienced. Rapid breathing in dogs shouldn’t be overlooked cos some might pass on depending on what’s making the dog breathe fast.
