Dogs naturally breathe faster when they are hot, excited, or recovering from exercise, but persistent rapid breathing can sometimes signal a more serious problem. Knowing the difference between normal panting and true hyperventilation can help you recognize when your dog needs veterinary attention.
Identifying When a Dog is Hyperventilating
True hyperventilation occurs when your dog’s breathing is rapid and shallow for a prolonged period or without an obvious reason. If you see that your dog is struggling to breathe, stretching her neck out to breathe, unsteady on her feet, or has pale or bluish gums, this is an emergency and she needs veterinary care immediately.
Panting is a fast, shallow breathing pattern that dogs use to cool down. Dogs pant after exercise, when they are worked up due to excitement, fear, or aggression, and when they are just plain hot. Panting could be considered a type of hyperventilation, but it is perfectly normal and will pass quickly as your dog cools and/or calms down.
When resting, your dog should inhale and exhale 15-30 times a minute. This is her resting respiratory rate, or respirations per minute (rpm). A resting respiratory rate greater than 30 breaths a minute is cause for concern, especially if it happens frequently.
Your dog’s heavy breathing may be hyperventilation if:
- She is taking more than 30 breaths per minute when resting
- She is taking rapid, shallow breaths without panting
- She continues to pant longer than normal after exercise
- Her eyes are wide as she pants excessively
- Breathing rate does not decrease as she cools or calms down
- She starts panting after activity that should be effortless, such as getting up from lying down
Labored breathing is when your dog is having difficulty getting air in or out of her lungs. Dogs who are struggling to breathe may snore or gurgle while breathing, move their abdomen dramatically in and out with each breath, have pale or bluish gums, be unsteady on their feet, or collapse. As noted above, difficulty breathing is an emergency.
Why is My Dog Breathing Fast?
First, consider your dog’s environment and what she was doing before the heavy breathing started.
Has she been running or playing? She is probably just panting from exercise and excitement.
Has she been barking and shrieking at someone out the window? She is probably just stressed or excited about the “intruder.”
Is there a thunderstorm or fireworks display going off outside? She is probably stressed and anxious about the loud noises.
Is it a hot, humid day? She is probably just plain hot and trying to cool down.
There causes of hyperventilation are more concerning. Possible causes of unexplained or persistent panting include:
- Overweight
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)
- Pain
- Heat stroke
- Object stuck in nasal passages or throat
- Heart failure
- Pulmonary edema (fluid in or around the lungs)
- Pneumothorax (air inside the chest which prevents the lungs from moving normally)
- Pulmonary contusions (bruising of the lungs)
- Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)
- Pneumonia (viral, bacterial, or fungal)
- Bronchitis
- Heartworm
- Lungworm
- Laryngeal paralysis, especially in senior dogs
- Severe anemia
- Reverse sneezing
- Cancer within the lungs, heart, chest cavity, or throat
- Cushing’s disease
What You Can Do To Help a Hyperventilating Dog
If your dog is breathing heavily, start by making sure she has access to shade, water, and good airflow. If she is overstimulated by things happening around her, move her to an area that is less exciting so she can calm down. Speak to her in a low, slow voice, and pet her with long, slow strokes to promote calming.
If your dog is reverse sneezing, a weird situation where the dog rapidly sucks air into the nose and honks or snorts like she is choking on a sneeze, you can press your palm over her nostrils for a few seconds to encourage her to breathe through her mouth. Reverse sneezing usually resolves quickly and your dog will be totally normal afterward.
After she has had a chance to settle, count your dog’s respirations per minute. You can do this over 60 seconds or count how many breaths she takes in 15 seconds and then multiply by four. If her breathing has slowed to less than 30 breaths per minute and she is behaving normally, all is well.
When To Get Help for a Hyperventilating Dog
A dog hyperventilating is an emergency if:
- Heat stroke is possible
- She is struggling to breathe
- She moves her abdomen in and out with each breath
- Gums are pale or blue-tinged
- Dog has been hit by a car or sustained other trauma
- Dog is bleeding uncontrollably
- Dog is unable to stand or walk normally
- Dog is unresponsive
A dog breathing heavily is not an emergency but still warrants a veterinary exam if:
- Resting respiratory rate is frequently over 30 breaths per minute
- Panting occurs without explanation
- Panting does not resolve quickly after exercise or excitement
- Breathing is frequently loud
- Heavy breathing is paired with coughing
- Heavy breathing is paired with exercise intolerance
- Dog has frequent bouts of reverse sneezing that do not resolve quickly
- Heavy breathing is paired with unexplained weight loss
- Dog also has a distended abdomen
- Dog bruises easily or without explanation
For an emergency visit, describe the symptoms that you have seen in your dog and any recent activities that may be relevant. The veterinary staff will triage or assess your dog, taking vitals as soon as you arrive. Depending on the situation they may start oxygen therapy, cooling protocols, administering fluids, imaging to assess her chest and lungs, and/or surgery to repair injuries.
Non-urgent veterinary visits to work up hyperventilation can be even more varied. Your veterinarian will do a thorough examination of your dog and ask questions about her breathing patterns and resting respiration rate. Your dog may have x-rays taken to evaluate her chest and throat. If your vet suspects a systemic issue such as anemia, Cushing’s disease, an infection, or high blood pressure due to kidney failure, she will recommend bloodwork to check for these disorders.
Treatment will vary based on what is causing your dog to hyperventilate. This could range from an easy fix such as anti-inflammatories for bronchitis or rhinoscopy to remove a blade of grass from the nasal passages to long-term management such as lifelong medications to manage congestive heart failure or surgery and a weight loss plan to address laryngeal paralysis.
In general, young healthy dogs who experience bouts of heavy panting recover quickly and probably do not have an underlying issue. Senior dogs are more likely to have systemic illnesses that could cause difficulty breathing. Regardless of the dog’s age, when it doubt, schedule a veterinary exam—difficulty breathing can become an emergency quickly.
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