Dogs pant to cool down, but panting can also signal excitement, pain, or anxiety. See a vet if it happens at rest.
Why dogs pant
- To cool down: dogs sweat mostly through paws.
- Excitement.
- Pain.
- Anxiety.
- Heart or lung disease.
- Cushing’s disease.
Normal
After exercise or in warm weather.
What to do
Move to a cool place and give water.
See a vet
If panting is excessive, at rest or at night.
Emergency
Heavy panting with blue gums or collapse is heatstroke.
Why dogs pant
Dogs pant to cool off, since they sweat only through paw pads. Panting moves air across the tongue and upper airways, evaporating moisture. It’s normal after exercise, in warm weather and with excitement. Dogs also pant when anxious, in pain or from certain medical issues.
- A normal dog body temperature is 101 to 102.5 F (38.3 to 39.2 C). Heatstroke begins above 104 F (40 C).
- Cushing’s disease, heart disease, anemia, obesity and breathing conditions cause excessive panting.
- Steroids such as prednisone raise panting.
- Brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs and pugs are prone to heat problems.
What to do
Provide shade, water and cool surfaces, and do not leave dogs in parked cars, where temperatures can climb 20 F in 10 minutes. See a vet for heavy panting at rest, without exertion, or at night, or with drooling, vomiting or restlessness. Go to the emergency vet if gums are pale, blue or bright red, or the dog collapses.
Why dogs pant
Panting cools dogs because they have few sweat glands, mainly on paw pads. It also occurs with excitement, stress, pain and illness. Normal dogs pant after exercise.
What to do
Provide water, shade and rest. Heavy panting at rest, with weakness or gum changes, needs a vet.
Normal panting
Dogs pant to cool down since they have few sweat glands, mainly in paw pads. Panting is normal after exercise, in warm weather, during excitement and when anxious. A healthy resting dog breathes under 30 times per minute.
Signs of a problem
Heavy panting at rest, at night, with drooling, restlessness, pale or blue gums, or a stretched posture may signal pain, heatstroke, heart disease, Cushing’s disease, poisoning or anemia. Heatstroke is life threatening when temperature exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs and pugs are at higher risk. Move the dog to a cool place and call a vet if symptoms do not stop. Never leave a dog in a parked car, where temperatures can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes.
Based on data from the American Kennel Club and the American Veterinary Medical Association
