How to make your dog breathe easier. If breathing becomes more frequent after vaccination. congenital heart disease

Many dog ​​owners sometimes notice that the dog breathes rapidly. This may be regarded as quite normal phenomenon, but may also indicate serious diseases. To determine what this is connected with, it is necessary to take into account some features. Normal frequency respiration in dogs is 10-30 breaths per minute. To determine the number of breaths, you need to put your hand on the pet's chest and detect one minute.

Throughout the day, a dog's breathing can change frequently. If the pet is not worried about anything, then he breathes through his nose and calmly. But if the dog does it with his mouth, then this action is not always a cause for concern.

Causes that are not related to diseases

Let's look at the lesser reasons first. Frequent breathing is possible after an active walk. Also this symptom may appear after training or playing with other pets. Dogs don't have sweat glands, therefore, to cool down, the dog often breathes with open mouth. It can also be fear, stress or joy.

Diseases

Another thing is when the dog breathes frequently without visible reasons(described above). The most common problems may be those related to the respiratory apparatus: pulmonary edema, bronchitis, pleurisy or pneumonia. If your dog is breathing heavily and rapidly, it may be due to asthma or heart failure.

Breed features

Some breeds, such as pugs, are inherently destined for respiratory problems. They have constricted nostrils and throat passages. They are also much more likely to overheat, which also contributes to increased breathing. Therefore, if the dog often breathes with his tongue hanging out, this can be considered normal. A similar phenomenon can be observed with an increase in body temperature or tightness of the neck with a collar.

Other reasons

If the pet did not observe any physical exertion, and breathing became more frequent, then this may mean the following:

• heart attack:
• poisoning;
• severe pain.

AT this case you need to immediately consult a doctor to examine the animal and find out the exact cause.

pregnant and lactating dog

A pregnant dog breathes quickly if the birth is already finally approaching. In this case, nothing threatens her health. If, after giving birth, breathing has not decreased, and the puppies were born dead, it is urgent to call a veterinarian, as the animal needs surgery.

If she breathes often and makes clumsy movements, then this indicates that the level of calcium and glucose in her blood decreases. In this case, the help of a doctor is also necessary, otherwise the animal may die.

What to do?

Why is the dog breathing fast? There can be many reasons. If, in addition to breathing, the dog has lethargy or anxiety, it whines, then the intervention of a specialist is necessary. If it is not possible to invite a veterinarian to the house, then you should very carefully deliver it to the hospital.

If a nursing dog breathes frequently, then the help of a veterinarian is also necessary. The consequences can be very different.

In the absence of extraneous symptoms, rapid breathing of a dog in situations that are unnatural for it requires examination. It will help to identify disorders associated with the work of the heart.

If the dog often breathes with an open mouth, then the owner needs to carry out the following actions.

The first step is to measure the body temperature of the pet. With hyperthermia rapid breathing considered a sign of illness respiratory organs. Next, you need to invite a veterinarian for an examination, which should prescribe tests to establish an accurate diagnosis.

If there is a hot period outside, then the reason may be. For this, the owner needs to water the dog cool water and take it to a cold place. You can also wipe your body with water and put a wet towel on your head. Then call the doctor.

At normal temperature body rapid breathing can be a sign of asthma. In this case, only drug treatment. Therefore, you need to immediately go to the hospital.

If, with rapid breathing, fainting and a blue tongue are possible, this means heart failure. After calling the doctor, the owner must apply heating pads or bottles of food to the dog's paws. warm water and keep your pet calm.

Heart failure

The above are all the main possible reasons when the dog is breathing fast. But the most common disease is Let's talk about it in more detail. All heart diseases can be divided into three groups:

• congenital;
• acquired;
• age.

Congenital malformations are more common in young pets. Very often in this case, animals die, since the body is still quite weak. Acquired defects, as a rule, in middle-aged animals, well, age - in animals older than eight years. In addition to rapid breathing with heart disease, pets may experience other symptoms.

Little dogs stop playing more time sleep, do not gain weight at all due to the fact that they eat poorly.

In adults, even at rest, shortness of breath may occur. The dog is very lethargic, during a quiet walk, he may faint. I have an opportunity speed dial weight due to high water intake.

All of these symptoms are the causes of pet heart problems. Also here can be attributed unsteady gait, weakness, refusal of food.

When it is a sign heart disease, you should transfer the pet to feeding in small portions, as well as reduce the amount of physical activity and walks. The doctor must prescribe special drugs. They should be taken exactly as directed.

Conclusion

So, from all of the above, we can single out the most common causes rapid breathing in a dog:

1. Overheating or heat stroke.
2. Nervous excitement. This may be if the pet is transported for the first time in transport or it is in an unfamiliar place for it.
3. There are some damages that you don't see. Various bruises or abrasions, the consequences of a fight with other dogs and more.
4. Heart attacks. This usually occurs in adult dogs in case of overheating.
5. Pregnancy.
6. Feeding newborn puppies.
7. Cold.
8. Heart failure.
9. various tumors.

Thus, in order to exclude negative cases, it is better not to self-medicate your pet, but to seek help from a professional who will conduct an examination, put accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The only thing you can do is to provide peace to the animal.

Difficulty breathing in dogs different reasons and wears different character. Shortness of breath in dogs is a violation of the frequency and depth of breathing.

It should not be confused with tachypnea, the rapid breathing that results from, for example, fast run. With tachypnea, the animal breathes rapidly, but not heavily, as with shortness of breath.

Causes of breathlessness in dogs

It is one of the symptoms of diseases, such as laryngeal edema, bronchitis, heart failure and other pathologies. of cardio-vascular system, allergies, poisoning, pleurisy and other lung diseases, some other infectious diseases.

In case of injury chest, broken ribs, diaphragmatic hernia animals may have breathing problems.

Difficulty breathing occurs when there is a lack of oxygen in the blood, metabolic disorders, diseases of the central nervous system, elevated temperature body.

Perhaps the animal is prevented from breathing stuck in the throat foreign object such as a toy or a tumor.
If there are no signs of disease, but if there is shortness of breath, while the dog behaves as usual, the cause of difficulty breathing may be squeezing the neck with a collar.

Some dogs are predisposed to certain types diseases that cause shortness of breath, such as large breeds, which often have cardiovascular diseases, and older large breed dogs often develop paralysis of the larynx. Breathing problems are also seen in obese, stressed dogs. Brachycephalic breeds with short muzzles, such as the Boston Terrier, Bulldog, and Pug, are prone to respiratory problems due to narrow nostrils and an elongated soft palate. In these breeds, shortness of breath may occur after anesthesia, due to heat, or when they are in an agitated, agitated state.

Symptoms

The animal can behave either restlessly or depressed, inhaling and exhaling heavily.

Rapid breathing is observed with the involvement abdominal muscles. The animal commits more than 35 respiratory movements per minute.

Breathing may be accompanied by extraneous sounds, such as whistling, wheezing, coughing.

Trying to restore breathing, to capture more air, the animal stretches its neck, lies down, stretching its legs forward, as English bulldog breathing with open mouth.

Due to the lack of oxygen in the blood, the gums turn pale, acquiring a bluish color. In some cases, foam may appear from the mouth.

The owner should be alert if the pet has shortness of breath when he is in calm state. It should be remembered that labored breathing is sharp and chronic, in the latter case, it can last more than a month.

Treating dyspnoea in dogs

If the symptom lasts for several hours or days, then you should visit a veterinarian. Only a veterinarian can make an accurate diagnosis, make attempts self-treatment pointless, you can only harm the animal, because. The causes of dyspnea are varied and therefore treatment should be directed at the cause and not the symptom. Therefore, if the cause is a collar that does not tighten the neck, then you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

The primary task of the doctor is to ensure normal airway patency, the method depends on the cause of shortness of breath, for example, by eliminating foreign body providing artificial ventilation of the lungs.

To diagnose the respiratory tract and heart, an x-ray of the chest and abdominal region, an ECG and other procedures included in a comprehensive examination are taken.

Shortness of breath is generally called arbitrary violations of the respiratory process, accompanied by natural reaction organism for the concomitant oxygen starvation. In our article we will try to tell you about how it manifests itself severe shortness of breath in a dog and what to do in case of a sharp exacerbation of the animal's well-being.

First of all, this deviation must be distinguished from normal state when your pet simply breathes with an open mouth, which is associated with the peculiarities of the organization of its respiratory process.

We are interested in cases pathological in which he has severe shortness of breath due to serious illness with a concomitant effect in the form of a syndrome. Such deviations are not subject to self-diagnosis, and it is not possible to treat them at home.

If you find any manifestations similar to shortness of breath, we advise you to immediately contact your veterinarian.

Types of shortness of breath and their characteristic features

With significant physical exertion, the animal has to open its mouth wide, which allows it to quickly restore the functionality of its body and compensate for the loss of energy. Rapid breathing after a walk with running and frequent jumping, this is quite normal and should not cause concern. But the cases when it occurs in a calm state are classified as symptomatic manifestations and should alert the owner.

In this situation, the most important thing is the current state of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. When examining a dog or puppy, it is necessary to determine the nature of its breathing, for which you should learn to distinguish between such concepts as expiration and inspiration.

Expiration is understood as the phenomenon of breathing in the form of short breaths and long and very heavy exhalations, which are often incomplete. At the same time, unpleasant wheezing or dull sniffing may be observed. All these sounds indicate a partial narrowing of the lower bronchial region, due to the transfer of asthma or bronchitis.

The inspiratory form of breathing involves either sharp short or heavy long breaths, which can occur due to edema of the airways, as well as after receiving minor injuries or getting foreign objects into them.

The mixed type of respiratory activity refers to a special acute conditions in which both inhalation and exhalation are difficult; at the same time, all attempts to breathe normally are accompanied by strangled wheezing and cough with spasms.

Causes of deviations and their manifestations

General classification

The causes of shortness of breath can be the following types of past diseases and physiological disorders:

• diseases caused by problems with blood circulation or impaired cardiac activity;
• respiratory abnormalities following accidental injury, infections, and work abnormalities internal organs dog;
• serious violations in the processes of internal metabolism;
• obesity with symptoms manifested in a decrease in the endurance of the animal due to malnutrition;
• and finally, postpartum dyspnea.

Let's consider each type of deviation in more detail.

The first two forms are manifested in fatigue when walking (the animal constantly feels the desire to sit or lie down, how to catch his breath and is almost unable to run). In case of violations metabolic processes toxins are not completely removed from the body, which has a detrimental effect on the circulatory system and can result in.

In addition, with this form of deviation, lesions of the genitourinary canal may occur (toxicosis due to the current kidney failure) and dog liver. It itself can be the result of complications after the transfer of piroplasmosis, which immediately puts the animal in a special risk group.

Consequences of physiological disorders

The consequence of all the considered deviations, in which pet shortness of breath appears, heart failure can become especially acute form and sluggish inflammatory process. Such an exacerbation as pulmonary edema can also be attributed to the same consequences.

Diagnosis of the disease

In case of violation of metabolic processes, like the previous case, tests are immediately taken, an ultrasound scan is performed, and liver tests are also sent for research. Obesity and postpartum dyspnea, although considered to be quite acceptable phenomena, are often accompanied by fever, vomiting, and impaired coordination. The appearance of these features in postpartum period may be associated with a large loss of blood.

If postpartum shortness of breath is observed constantly for a number of days, you should urgently call a veterinarian at home. If you do not act, these reasons can lead to death.

Providing first aid

Mild forms of pathology

Basic methods of rendering first aid allow to achieve a symptomatic improvement in the condition of the animal and are reduced mainly to oxygen therapy. By agreement with the doctor, it can be supplemented by some adjustment of the diet, as well as the intake of recommended vitamins and trace elements.

Stress in a dog can be caused by the presence of danger (a fight with another animal, protecting the owner) and is always accompanied by the production of excess hormones. Such manifestations in animals should not be underestimated and treated without due attention.

If they are found in a sick pet, first of all, you need to leave it alone for a while and place it in an isolated cool room. At the same time, the owner of the animal should be nearby all the time, periodically massaging the chest and wiping wet places with a dry towel.

critical situations

Most often, in order to prevent pathologies in the respiratory system, accompanied by the appearance of edema and swelling of the mucous membranes, antihistamines or steroids are prescribed by the attending physician or veterinarian. In cases where choking occurs unexpectedly, the owner of the dog will be forced to take risks, since there is no time left to wait for the veterinarian.

In this situation, you should act quickly and decisively and not think for a long time about what to do. First of all, you need to call a doctor at home, and then try to find in home first aid kit any antihistamine (in last resort, traditional Suprastin will do for these purposes).

For dogs of medium size (weighing no more than 5-8 kg), half a tablet of this drug will be enough, which will first need to be crushed and then gently rubbed under the tongue. Then you should open all the windows in the room or turn on the ventilation system at full power, maximizing its circulation. At the same time, we rub the back, ears and chest of a sick animal.

The ideal option for providing first aid is the use of an oxygen mask, the presence of which in the house eliminates many problems.

While waiting for the arrival of a doctor, intravenous potassium chloride at a dosage of 3 to 15 ml is allowed to avoid an attack (depending on the size of your pet).

After taking all the preventive measures described above, you will only have to wait for the doctor who will take everything necessary measures and can help alleviate the condition of your pet.

Respiratory distress syndrome, often referred to as dyspnea, is relatively common in dogs. Moreover, this problem is quite serious, since it causes a deterioration in the supply of oxygen to organs and tissues. Rapid breathing in a dog is often associated with a buildup of fluid (edema) in the lungs or chest cavity(pleural effusion).

What causes this pathology? The reasons are quite varied:

• Heart disease or heart failure.
• Lung disease.
• Tumors in the lung or airways.
• Infections leading to the development of pneumonia.
• Obstructions that block the airways.
• Injury.
• Hemothorax (bleeding into the chest).
• Hydrothorax (respectively, the accumulation of fluid in the chest).
• After the operation, when the animal "departs" from anesthesia.

Unlike cats, which are much more “homogeneous” in this matter, dogs have many breeds that are characterized by specific predisposing factors for shortness of breath:

• Brachycephalic breeds are very prone to a whole bunch of upper respiratory tract diseases (many are congenital). They often have very narrowed nostrils and an elongated soft palate, so that they cannot physically breathe normally. If the dog has rapid breathing and heart rate, then he may have been stressed, he is simply agitated, or he has a fever when he is sick.

• Boxers are prone to tumors that occur near the heart, they also have frequent cases of lung cancer.

• Large and giant breeds(e.g. Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes) are predisposed to and congestive heart failure (CHF).

• Dogs small breeds predisposed to tracheal collapse and chronic bronchitis. In addition, they are often diagnosed with defects of the mitral valve.

• "Toy" dogs also often suffer from tracheal collapse.

Read also: The dog is choking and grunting, wheezing, coughing

The most “normal” dogs in this respect are medium breeds. Thus, the frequent breathing of a dog of the “Laika” variety is most often due to the fact that she is tired or excited. Some congenital pathologies they practically do not occur. Of course, rapid breathing in a dog before childbirth is an absolutely normal phenomenon, since all other mammals behave in exactly the same way, including primates (which we include).

In general, it is important to understand that shortness of breath can also be physiological! So, if a dog has rapid breathing after giving birth, then, as a rule, you should not worry. Just in this case, the body suffered a very serious load, from which it is recovering. Also, you do not need to worry much when breathing quickens after anesthesia. The animal's body is recovering from the surgery and stress, while it needs more oxygen.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Of course, if the dog has trembling and rapid breathing, it is quite difficult not to notice it, but the most serious are those cases when there is whole complex symptoms:

• Cough.
• Labored breathing.
• Weight loss.
• Fatigue.

If you notice all this in one "kit", we advise you to immediately take your pet to an experienced veterinarian, as delay can result in extremely serious consequences. In veterinary practice, the following methods are practiced to determine the causes of shortness of breath.

Signs of respiratory distress:

• unusual sounds (wheezing, whistling)
• unusual posture (stretched neck, spread front legs), restlessness, inability to lie down
• pale or bluish coloration of the gums and lips
• very fast breathing or labored breathing, with a visible effort to inhale or exhale

If the condition of the animal worsens, shortness of breath increases, lips and gums become bluish or purple - it is required emergency help, the account can go for minutes.

How to help at home?

The dog needs to be provided with peace, not to create additional loads on the respiratory system(avoid overheating, physical exertion, excitement). Ensure inflow fresh air(open window). In no case should you try to lay the dog down, give it water to drink - this can be dangerous. There is no need to use any drugs that stimulate breathing - in most cases this is not only pointless, but can be harmful. It is necessary to deliver the animal to the doctor as soon as possible and carefully.

What will the doctor do?

When providing first aid to a patient with difficulty breathing, the main task is to provide the body with oxygen. Sometimes it is enough to place the animal in an oxygen chamber or let it breathe oxygen using a mask, sometimes urgent surgical intervention or mechanical ventilation. Simultaneously with the provision of first aid, the doctor will carry out diagnostics, and his further actions will depend on what cause of respiratory failure he will find.

If airway patency is impaired, air does not enter the lungs or does not enter in sufficient quantities. An obstacle to the passage of air can be a foreign object in the upper respiratory tract (bone, ball, etc.), trauma to the upper respiratory tract (for example, with a bite), swelling of the tissues of the neck.

In animals with flattened noses and short muzzles, such as pugs, french bulldogs, Pekingese, fabrics can be such an obstacle soft palate. Dogs of these breeds often experience some breathing problems in their normal state, if the load on the respiratory system increases (in heat, or when inflammatory process in the respiratory tract, with excitement, physical activity or pain), the difficulty may escalate and become life-threatening.

If the lungs are affected, gas exchange is disturbed, and the blood is not saturated with oxygen. The causes of problems with the lungs can be bruised during injury, inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia), pulmonary edema, etc. In such patients, as a rule, frequent breathing is noted, requiring great effort.

Perhaps the most common pathology of this group is cardiogenic pulmonary edema, and the most common patient veterinarian- a middle-aged dachshund who suffered from a cough for a long time, and then began to choke. In this case, the initial problem is not in the lungs, but in the heart, it is not able to adequately pump blood through the vessels, because of this, blood stagnation develops in the vessels of the lungs, and fluid seeps into the lung tissue.

All patients with lung disease usually require hospitalization, intensive treatment, sometimes within a few days, and in severe cases – artificial ventilation lungs.

Difficulty breathing can be caused by problems in the chest area, such as multiple fractures ribs, accumulation of fluid or air in the chest cavity. To help such a patient, you need to quickly eliminate the cause of the disease.

For example, a dog that has been hit by a car very often has free air in its chest cavity. It enters the chest cavity from the injured lungs and compresses them, making it difficult to breathe. In such a situation, the doctor needs to remove air from the chest cavity through a puncture chest wall. Sometimes it is necessary to install drainage - a special tube through which accumulated air can be effectively removed.

As a rule, such patients also need to be in the hospital under observation.

Of course, what we have described is only a small part of a large number reasons causing violation breath in our pets.
It is important to understand that breathing problems are always serious. There is not a single disease that causes shortness of breath that can be cured at home. It is necessary to deliver the animal to the doctor as soon as possible.
Please be careful!

Orlova Maria Eduardovna
anesthesiologist-resuscitator