Deep breathing in a dog. The dog is breathing heavily - for what reason and what to do

If the dog is breathing frequently, this should alert the pet owner. Rapid breathing can be part of a normal life cycle or a sign of a serious illness. In order to determine what caused this manifestation, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the animal. The normal breathing rate is within 30 times per minute. To determine the frequency of breaths, it is enough to press your hand to the chest of your pet and detect 60 seconds.

An animal's breathing can change constantly throughout the day. If your pet is not disturbed by anything, he will breathe calmly and measuredly through his nose. If he periodically begins to breathe through his mouth, this is a very significant reason for worry.

The reasons

Rapid or stray breathing often appears after exercise or active walks. Also, this symptom can occur during the game or training. Dogs do not have sweat glands, so to cool the body, the animal begins to breathe frequently, opening its mouth and sticking out its tongue. The same behavior can be observed when the dog is frightened or, on the contrary, feels joy.

Diseases

Things are more serious if the dog suddenly began to breathe rapidly for no obvious reason. The most common reasons for this behavior are problems that are associated with disruption of the respiratory organs:

• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• pulmonary edema.

If the dog is breathing very heavily and frequently, there is a possibility of asthma or heart failure.

Some features of the breed

A considerable number of breeds, such as the pug, have trouble breathing from birth. They are born with constricted nostrils and throat passages. They also overheat more often than other breeds, and this contributes to rapid breathing. In addition, such manifestations may appear at elevated temperatures or too tightly tightened collar.

If the four-legged pet did not have any physical exertion and other kinds of activity, but his breathing increased sharply, he may have:

• shock state;
• strong sensations of pain;
• heart attack;
• stomach problems or food poisoning.

In such a situation, you need to urgently contact a veterinarian for a thorough examination and identify the reasons for this behavior.

Dog during pregnancy and lactation

In most cases, if a pregnant dog begins to breathe frequently, it is a sign that labor is approaching. In such a situation, nothing threatens her health. But when, after giving birth, the respiratory rate does not decrease, and the puppies were born dead, then you need to urgently take it to the veterinarian, since your dog needs surgery.

When a nursing dog breathes rapidly, while its movements are slightly slowed down, this may indicate that the level of glucose and calcium in its body is significantly reduced. You will need medical advice and assistance. If no action is taken, the animal will die.

How and what to do

There are many reasons why a dog breathes frequently. If, along with rapid breathing, lethargy and anxiety are observed, while she whines, the help of a specialist is needed. If it is not possible to invite a doctor to your home, you must carefully deliver the pet to the veterinary clinic. In the absence of additional symptoms, the frequent breathing of an animal with unnatural behavior requires an examination that will help identify pathologies.

If the dog often breathes with its mouth open, the first step is to take its temperature. Rapid breathing is considered a sign of respiratory diseases with hyperthermia. After that, you need to invite a veterinarian for diagnosis.

If in the heat the pet breathes often, drinks a lot and periodically trembles, this is a sign of heat stroke. In this case, the owner needs to move to a cool place, wipe the dog's body with cool water and call the veterinarian.

Answers:

plo_tnik

Dogs do not have sweat glands; they cool themselves by breathing. The higher the temperature, the more intensively their air conditioner works. Look for a cooler place. The nose is usually warm and dry when sleeping.

Svetlana

so breathing from the heat, try slightly dampening the wool. and vaccinations should have already been done without them it is dangerous to take them out into the street

No data

well, as far as I understand, his heartbeat is several times higher than yours, and his lung capacity is much smaller, of course, I’m not a zaologist, but it’s namal ... and his nose is warm because he sleeps))) - they all have it ...)))

E)

squeak in a personal! I'll help the vet!

people, help! My puppy, when he sleeps heavily and breathes often, is this normal? Or what is it? (Labrador

Answers:

Marina Kutsenko

Dogs in a dream also jerk their paws, as if they are rude. They also chew and smack funny. They see dreams. And if it really worries you, then go to the veterinarian. They will answer you there. (Veterinarians are often much more attentive than human doctors). Good luck in the difficult, but amazing and rewarding business - raising a dog!

crazy angel

If your house is hot, or warm enough, then this is normal ... Maybe he's dreaming about something. If something bothered him, he would let you know...

Irina Irochka

Dreaming of something....

Cavalry

First measure the temperature, it is also possible that he is hot (unless, of course, he has lost his appetite and activity). If there are still other problems - the heart may be ...

Mikhail Strakhov

sleeps and even more so breathes, it will stop well, it will be bad

Sambela.in

he must be hot

Sonya Nazarova

probably the baby was scared of something .... usually it happens .... maybe something unusual happened in his life and he sees it in a dream

Why does a dog breathe often in a dream and shudder all the time?! .. sometimes with sound accompaniment.

Answers:

Yazva

dreams - he runs after a cat or from a pack of dogs)))

Anastasia

sees dreams

Barsik

I once had a dog, a boxer. But what bothered me was not that she shuddered in her sleep and often breathed, but that the dog farted quite loudly and smelly. For this, I beat him with a slipper, but he still farted, scoffed, brute!

little fox

she is dreaming

Ours also does)
sometimes even in a dream, it’s like running somewhere) probably for cats))

Went to a monastery :3

Because she dreams. For example, delicious food Chappi - dog food hearty meat lunch (meat abundance)

Anton Kalashnikov

Dreaming of something terrible.

Irina Merezhko

Dreaming of something.

Mademoiselle Danielle

Yes, she is dreaming. Either he is running somewhere, then he sees something from what he has experienced recently.

Alexandra Tyulikhova

of course I’m dreaming) there’s mine how it growls in a dream, then whines))) all dogs have this way))) all the same, they’re alive))))

Dasha

She must be dreaming about something. mine does the same thing in my sleep

So why

this is a friend of his ask what worries.

[email protected]

She's dreaming.)

We took a kitten today, active, playing, etc. But in a dream he often breathes, goes limp and his eyes roll back. Wake up - normal.

Answers:

Cheery

"But in a dream he often breathes, goes limp and his eyes roll back."
Why are you disturbing your kitten's sleep? during REM sleep, you behave the same way. .
and cats move their eyes in their sleep - and when they are woken up, they really don’t like it.

En.wikipedia.org/wiki/REM_sleep
in a person:
REM sleep phases make up 20-25% of a night's sleep, about 90-120 minutes, one phase lasts 10-20 minutes and alternates with a slow-wave sleep phase. During REM sleep, larger muscle groups are relaxed and brain activity is activated. In this phase, an intense, with increasing amplitude, movement of the eyeballs is observed.

Dmitry Shekhovtsov

Do not worry. You sleep, about the same, he also has dreams.

Olechka Dunaeva

Maybe dreaming of something. Animals in a dream are very restless. In my dream, my dog ​​sometimes moves its paws at a frantic speed, as if it is catching up with someone, shudders, whines and barks!)

Count de Wall

Katia!
Look at yourself while you sleep!
Stop terrorizing the kitten.

Smith JJ

Maybe it's just hot. the main thing is that after sleep he runs and frolic!

"darth SION"

defragmented.

voron::::|::::::::::::>nochnoi

cats sleep like that. even fun to watch :)

Peter Vodkin

Just a little more. And then do not forget that they also have different dreams.

alexey basalaev

Seeing mother in a dream

Alexey Korenkov

Everything is fine. . I have a cat since childhood and still sleeps like this. . Sometimes you pick it up and it feels like there are no bones. . And everything will turn out fine. . Even funny. .))

natalia yabloshevskaya

Probably just a tiny one! Tired!

@_Looking [email protected]

He's so crazy about it.

Elizabeth Parshina

call the vet clinic and ask
they'll tell you for sure)

Anka Denisova

since the kitten is still small, it means that he draws new information most of the day and learns a lot of new things. And that means his dreams will be rich!
When you had a busy, impressionable day - you also sleep restlessly)

Why do dogs breathe quickly?

Answers:

Sun

Why do dogs breathe quickly? When people are hot, millions of tiny sweat glands deep in their skin produce sweat that evaporates into the air and thus cools the skin. However, dogs have very few sweat glands. Therefore, in order to cool themselves, they breathe very quickly - this produces a similar effect. Rapid breathing creates a strong current of air, which removes moisture from the lungs and the dog's mouth. Evaporating moisture carries away some of the dog's body heat. Like a sweaty human, a fast-breathing dog usually needs to drink water to maintain adequate fluid levels and keep the body cool in hot weather.

san4o

Olga Zayarnova

hot, stress, pain

crazy angel

Because they are hot...

Dmitrich

their heart beats twice as fast

Yana

They breathe often when they are hot. They do not have sweat glands. Cooled through the tongue.

BULLDOG

hot, stress, fear

YUVka

They generally have a very high respiration rate. And the heartbeat is higher .. and the temperature .. and it's hot in their homes

It is not uncommon for attentive pet owners to notice that their pet has started having breathing problems - the dog is breathing heavily, grunting, wheezing and coughing. What to do in such cases and how to provide first aid to the dog?

Problem

Short-term or permanent shortness of breath in a dog is a failure in the rate of breathing, its depth and rhythm. This clinical picture is nothing more than a protective reaction of the body, with the help of which it makes up for the lack of oxygen in the lungs. This serious violation is expressed in difficulty breathing when inhaling or exiting, it can be observed at any time.

If the animal has heart failure, shortness of breath significantly interferes with normal blood circulation. Accumulating in the lungs, the liquid provokes a cough, the dog begins to wheeze.

There are many reasons that contribute to difficulty breathing, they include both physical activity and various diseases of the body. Therefore, in order to diagnose the disease, one should understand the reasons that provoked it.

The reasons

For the convenience of diagnosing, the causes of shortness of breath are divided into three volume blocks:

• respiratory;
• cardiogenic,
• pathology of the central nervous system.

The first group includes diseases of internal organs and systems, violations of their work, various injuries, infections, as well as the ingress of a foreign object into the respiratory tract. Diseases such as pleurisy, pneumonia, tumors in the respiratory tract, fracture, bruising of the chest, accumulation of fluid in the chest can contribute to respiratory shortness of breath.

The second group includes problems of a cardiovascular nature and circulatory disorders. Shortness of breath of a cardiogenic nature is promoted by pulmonary edema, which develops against the background of a weakening of the heart muscle. As a rule, the dog has heart disease, chronic or acute heart failure, cardiomyopathy, anemia.

Causes related to the third group: malignant and benign neoplasms of the brain, previously received head injuries, electrical injuries, hematomas, metabolic disorders and, as a result, diabetes, as well as diseases of the genitourinary system and liver due to the presence of toxins in the blood. Also, shortness of breath can often be caused by severe stress, pain shock, high fever, and obesity.

Representatives of certain breeds have a tendency to shortness of breath due to the structure of the muzzle - pugs, bulldogs, Pekingese. The flattened nose and the position of the tissues of the soft palate prevent them from fully breathing, inhaling and exhaling air.

These dogs snore and emit a characteristic whistle all the time, even when they sleep. This creates an additional burden on the respiratory system, so these breeds most often experience stress, fever, inflammation, which can lead to serious complications, even death.

Sometimes shortness of breath is observed in recently giving birth dogs and disappears within a day, however, if difficulty breathing persists for more than 24 hours and is accompanied by severe blood loss, loss of coordination, vomiting and hyperthermia, you should promptly call a veterinarian.

Whatever the cause of shortness of breath, if the animal has secondary signs (cyanosis, fainting, severe coughing, coughing up blood, etc.), contacting the veterinary clinic should also be immediate.

What are the characteristics

If your pet is cheerful and active, plays and runs a lot, then the appearance of shortness of breath after physical exertion is normal. After a while, the dog will catch his breath, and his breathing will return to normal. Shortness of breath, manifested in a calm state, should alert. It is of three types:

1. Expiration (short inhalation and long heavy exhalation). Probable causes - bronchitis, asthma.
2. Inspiration (heavy or sharp short breath). Possible causes are pulmonary edema, foreign body in the airways, trauma.
3. Mixed type (both inhalation and exhalation are difficult). Manifested due to pneumonia, cardiovascular insufficiency, acute inflammatory process.

Shortness of breath is characterized by the following symptoms:

• the dog breathes with difficulty, making a huge effort on himself;
• when the mouth is closed, breathing is impossible;
• wheezing and whistling, strangled sounds are distinguishable;
• mucous membranes turn pale or become cyanotic;
• coughing.

The behavior of the dog also changes, it becomes restless, then indifferent to everything that happens around. You can often see how she takes a strange pose: she stretches out and spreads her front legs wide.

How to give a dog first aid

If you notice that the pet's condition is rapidly deteriorating (he turned blue, breathing heavily, sticking out his tongue), you need to help him. The first thing you should do is put the animal in a separate room, providing him with complete peace. The room should be cool, often ventilated, but without drafts.

However, if the dog does not want to lie down, then it is useless to insist, as well as trying to force him to drink water - these actions can lead to the opposite result.

Call the veterinarian and describe in detail the condition of the dog. Before the doctor arrives, you can give the dog crushed suprastin (with a weight of 5-8 kilograms - half a tablet), this will relieve swelling. Next, you should massage the chest, back, abdomen and ears. If possible, you can introduce the Gamavit immunostimulator into all four paws in equal doses.

With a severe clinical picture, the doctor will have to saturate the body of the animal with oxygen, using an oxygen mask for this. In some cases, mechanical ventilation, closed lung massage, or surgery are required.

How to treat

You need to understand that shortness of breath in itself is not a disease, but a symptom of a certain ailment, therefore, the treatment will be aimed at eliminating the disease that caused shortness of breath. For example, if a foreign body has entered the airways and thereby provoked their obstruction, the veterinarian removes the object, after which he ventilates the lungs or intubates.

With anemia, a diet correction, vitaminized therapy is carried out. In heart failure, combined treatment is indicated, including the supply of oxygen, the intake of Nitroglycerin, Corvalol and diuretics.

In some cases, a specialist performs a thoracentesis (removal of fluid accumulated in the chest).

The health of puppies and adult dogs experiencing breathing problems due to the physiological characteristics of the nasopharynx must be carefully monitored, since for them even the most harmless cold can be fraught with serious complications.

The dog after childbirth breathes often with an open mouth

If you and your beloved pet are expecting offspring, then you, as the owner, should learn as much as possible about pregnancy and childbirth, as well as possible complications after childbirth. It's great if everything goes smoothly for the dog. However, it is better to be prepared, albeit theoretically, for any sudden situation.

One of the signs that can alert the owner is the rapid breathing of the dog after childbirth (especially if several days have passed). It is important to know why this pathology can develop and how to help your beloved four-legged family member.

Why does a dog breathe often after giving birth

How to understand that the frequency of respiratory movements in a dog is increased? Everything is extremely simple. First, you need to know the norm: on average, it is 10-30 times per minute (look at the “movement” of the ribs, you can put your palm on them). But remember that the smaller the dog, the faster it breathes (and the faster the heart beats).

Secondly, rapid breathing is always superficial (not full chest). The pet can open its mouth, stick out its tongue and breathe noisily. Again, such a symptom is hard not to notice, but why can this happen to an animal after childbirth?

You should know that sometimes rapid breathing after childbirth is the norm. This is due to the fact that there is a contraction of the myometrium (the muscular layer of the uterus) in order to give birth to the placenta ("children's places") and the formation of milk. Usually this state does not last long: about 15 minutes after the birth of the last puppy.

In other cases, rapid breathing may be associated with pathological processes occurring in the dog’s body weakened by childbirth. And it is extremely important for the owner to recognize as soon as possible that something is wrong with their beloved pet. This will allow you to seek qualified veterinary help in time and save the life of a four-legged family member.

• The most common reasons why a dog breathes noisily after childbirth, often with an open mouth, is fear, stress, or elevated body temperature (after all, dogs do not have sweat glands, and the animal “cools down” with the help of the tongue and frequent breathing). However, it should be understood that these are not all reasons. Still quite often there is frequent breathing due to problems with the respiratory system: pulmonary edema, tracheitis or bronchitis, pneumonia, inflammation of the pleura (pleurisy).
• There is another pathology that is already registered in lactating bitches - eclampsia. With it, the dog's concentration of glucose and calcium in the blood drops sharply, which can lead to the so-called milk fever. Convulsions begin, the pet trembles, and then the paws stretch out and become like wood. If the animal is not urgently provided with veterinary care, the pet may die due to asphyxia (suffocation).
• Sometimes rapid breathing may be due to the fact that not all puppies were born. This is especially dangerous if the babies were born dead. If you carefully feel the stomach, you can find out if there are still puppies left inside or if all have already been born.

Be sure to check if there are any other symptoms. It will be a bad sign if a day after childbirth the body temperature rises to 40 degrees, blood discharge, vomiting, weakness, anemia appear, or, conversely, anemia of the skin and visible mucous membranes, and so on. If the dog, in addition to frequent breathing, has any other clinical signs, it is necessary to sound the alarm and urgently call the veterinarian at home or take the animal to the nearest veterinary clinic on your own.

What to do with a dog that breathes fast

If your beloved pet began to breathe often and noisily after childbirth, then you should not self-medicate. Yes, in some cases this condition is normal, the animal is just very tired, or the process of milk formation is taking place, as well as uterine contraction. However, sometimes rapid breathing is a serious symptom. And delaying the provision of veterinary care can be extremely dangerous for the life of a newly-made mom.

1. In one case, infusion therapy using saline (glucose) and calcium will help. You can put droppers or inject subcutaneously or intramuscularly, provided that the calcium-containing preparation allows this method of administration. For example, calcium chloride is intended exclusively for intravenous administration, otherwise it causes necrosis (death) of tissues. But calcium borogluconate can be administered intramuscularly and subcutaneously.
2. In another case, the use of antihistamines, antibiotics (if inflammation has begun) can help. If the animal is overheated (which often happens in summer or in a very stuffy room), then you can slightly open the window, ventilating the room. Just make sure that there is no draft, otherwise the newly-made mommy, along with the kids, can catch a cold.
3. But remember that any treatment should be prescribed only by a veterinarian after an internal examination of the dog and confirmation of the diagnosis! Sometimes additional examinations are required: donate blood (best for biochemical analysis) and animal urine, ultrasound, ECG, X-ray examination. The more accurately you describe the symptoms (when and how it all started), the easier it will be for the veterinarian to diagnose and prescribe a quick and effective treatment that will save your pet's life.

Serious health problems are indicated by shortness of breath in a dog that occurs with little physical exertion or at rest. If your breathing becomes faster after a long run or weight training, you should not worry.

Symptoms of shortness of breath

As a rule, breathing goes astray in three parameters at once (frequency, depth and rhythm) - this is how the body signals an oxygen deficiency.

Signs of respiratory failure:

• noticeable efforts on inhalation or exhalation;
• the appearance of additional sounds (wheezing, whistling);
• breathing with an open mouth;
• excitation replaced by oppression;
• unusual posture (a worried animal stretches its neck and spreads its front paws, but cannot lie down);
• blanching or cyanosis of the gums and lips.

Important! You need to know that external breathing is closely related to the activity of the circulatory system: that is why a failure in breathing always leads to increased work of the heart muscle.

Causes of shortness of breath in a dog

They are grouped into 3 large categories, within which there is already a more detailed classification:

• respiratory;
• cardiogenic;
• CNS pathology.

Respiratory

These are injuries, diseases (including infectious ones), as well as violations of the functions of internal organs.

Catalysts for this kind of shortness of breath are:

• mechanical damage, for example, a fracture of the chest;
• pneumonia;
• pleurisy;
• neoplasms (benign / malignant);
• fluid accumulated in the chest.

Shortness of breath of a respiratory nature does not always indicate that a pathological process has been launched in the body. Sometimes a foreign object stuck in the airways becomes its culprit.

Breathing problems also occur with anemia, when all the tissues of the canine body receive less oxygen. When the hemoglobin level is low, it is difficult for the dog to breathe even at complete rest.

Cardiogenic

This group includes all causes associated with a weak heart or poor circulation. This kind of shortness of breath occurs when walking (the animal often sits / lies down, he does not have enough air) and running (in the vast majority of cases, running is impossible).

Cardiogenic shortness of breath is caused by various ailments, including:

• heart failure (acute or chronic);
• heart disease;
• cardiomyopathy.

Important! Often, pulmonary edema becomes a provocateur of cardiogenic shortness of breath, in the appearance of which the weakness of the heart muscle is to blame (in a vicious circle).

Pathologies of the central nervous system

Some breeds (so-called brachycephals) suffer from shortness of breath due to the anatomical structure of the muzzle. Brachycephalic syndrome has been noted in dogs with flattened noses, such as, and. The position of the tissues of the soft palate becomes an obstacle to their proper breathing.

An additional risk factor in the form of physical activity, stress, heat or inflammation can be superimposed on a natural defect at any time, resulting in poor health and even death of the dog.

In addition, shortness of breath due to the fault of the central nervous system often occurs as a complication after:

• hematomas;
• electric shock;
• head injury;
• brain tumors.

The central nervous system is also to blame for postpartum dyspnea, which is acceptable and goes away by itself. If difficulty breathing is accompanied by bleeding, fever, loss of coordination and vomiting, urgent help is needed.

Responsibility for respiratory failure is also assigned to the central nervous system if the animal has:

• severe stress;
• obesity;
• pain shock;
• high body temperature.

In a stressful situation (a fight, a threat to the life of the owner, any danger), adrenaline (fear), cortisol (anxiety), norepinephrine (rage) and other hormones are released into the blood, causing the heart to contract faster. It is logical that the acceleration of blood flow requires oxygen replenishment - this is why dogs begin to breathe rapidly with their mouths open.

First aid for shortness of breath

If the breath is lost from strong emotions (stress), the animal should be taken to a cool, quiet place and try to calm down. When moistening the coat, it is wiped with a soft cloth, not forgetting to stroke the chest.

Important! A deeply stressed dog should not be laid down and forced to eat/drink against its will. Cool drinking can cause pneumonia, edema or collapse of the lungs (due to the temperature difference between the water and the “hot” internal organs).

If the dog cannot be laid down, do not insist: perhaps his lungs are oversaturated with oxygen, and the prone position threatens to rupture the lung tissue. If shortness of breath is caused by other reasons, the influx of fresh air and peace will not interfere either (open window, fan, split system).

Experienced dog owners, especially those whose pets are having difficulty breathing, have emergency medicines in their first aid kit. Sample algorithm:

1. Give any decongestant medicine, for example, suprastin at the rate of half a tablet per 5-8 kg of dog weight. It is crushed and rubbed under the tongue.
2. Rub vigorously on back, chest and ears.
3. Enter an immunostimulant (gamavit or another), determining the dose according to the instructions. The solution is injected into 4 paws (intramuscularly).
4. If potassium chloride is available, give 3-15 ml IV (based on the size of the dog). This injection is done very slowly and carefully.
5. In extreme cases (if you know how), do a closed heart massage.

If there is a noticeable deterioration, a doctor will be needed. Call him at home or take the dog to the clinic. To restore breathing, the doctor removes foreign bodies, applies an oxygen mask, and sentences more severe patients to mechanical ventilation or operates.