Dogs pant at night because of heat, anxiety, pain, or health issues like heart disease or Cushing’s. See a vet if it is new.
Common causes
- Heat.
- Anxiety.
- Pain.
- Heart disease.
- Cushing’s disease.
- Medications such as steroids.
- Obesity.
- Respiratory problems.
Normal
Panting after exercise or in heat is normal.
What to do
Cool the room and offer water.
See a vet
If panting is heavy, new, or with restlessness, or lasts.
Emergency
Blue gums or collapse.
Normal and abnormal panting
Dogs pant to cool down because they have few sweat glands, mainly in the paw pads. Night panting can be normal after exercise, in a warm room, or from excitement. A resting dog usually breathes 15 to 30 breaths per minute, and over 40 at rest is a concern.
- Pain from arthritis or injury, anxiety, heart disease, Cushing’s disease, anemia and respiratory problems cause panting at night.
- Medications like prednisone raise panting.
- Brachycephalic breeds pant more because of narrow airways.
- Heatstroke starts at body temperature above 103 F (39.4 C).
What to do
Cool the room, offer water and provide a comfortable bed. Count resting breaths over 30 seconds and double. See a vet if panting is new, heavy, or comes with restlessness, drooling, pale or blue gums, a swollen belly, coughing or collapse. Take a dog to an emergency clinic immediately for heavy panting with weakness, since bloat, heart failure and heatstroke are life-threatening.
Normal and abnormal panting
Dogs pant to cool off, and after play or excitement. Panting at night in a cool room can signal pain, anxiety, heart disease, Cushing’s disease, obesity or medication effects such as prednisone.
What to do
Check room temperature, provide water and a calm bed. See a vet if panting is heavy, with gum color change, restlessness or collapse. Heatstroke begins at body temperature above 104 F.
Night panting causes
Dogs pant at night from warmth, pain from arthritis, anxiety, heart disease, Cushing’s syndrome or corticosteroids. In older dogs, canine cognitive dysfunction disturbs sleep. Obesity increases panting. Normal resting respiratory rate is below 30 breaths per minute.
Care steps
Keep the bedroom around 68 to 72 F, provide cooling mats and fresh water, and consider orthopedic bedding. Count breaths when asleep: over 30 per minute needs a vet visit. Pale or blue gums, restlessness and abdominal swelling are emergencies. Vets may prescribe pain relief such as carprofen for arthritis or heart medications such as pimobendan.
Based on data from the American Kennel Club and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
