Content
- Panting, a physiological mechanism
- Normal causes of wheezing in dogs
- Pathological causes of wheezing in dogs
- Consult your veterinarian for warning signs
If you have decided to adopt a dog, you must make sure beforehand that it will be able to meet all its needs, some of which are time, affection and socialization with the human family. In addition, spending time with your puppy allows him to observe him and understand his usual behavior, making it much easier to identify any signs that might indicate an illness.
One of these signs can be wheezing, although as you will see below, it does not always hide an illness, as it is also a physiological mechanism that occurs several times.
If you live with a dog, I'm sure you've wondered if it's normal for my dog to wheeze. In the following article by PeritoAnimal we will address this issue and clarify your doubts.
Panting, a physiological mechanism
The wheezing of dogs is mostly a regulatory mechanism to keep the body temperature at an adequate level, since by taking out the tongue and inhaling air quickly they are able to lower the temperature and get rid of the excess heat that may be accumulating, through evaporation.
The panting mechanism usually occurs when the dog's body temperature rises to 38-39 degrees, because although dogs have sweat glands in their pillows, these are not enough for a effective refrigeration process.
Normal causes of wheezing in dogs
If your dog is panting a lot and it is not due to heat or exercise, then it may be due to other factors that are not pathological and that have other causes, such as the following:
- stress and fear: Just as a person suffers from anxiety, when a dog is afraid (of going to the vet or in situations of pyrotechnics) or is stressed, its entire body undergoes physiological changes and increases heart rate, as well as respiratory, causing breathing panting.
- excessive joy: When the puppy is very happy (because he arrived home or because he is returning from a canine nursery), it is also normal for his vital functions to change and to increase his breathing rate, giving way to wheezing.
However, you should bear in mind that although wheezing is normal in a stressful situation, when this situation is prolonged, it is essential to consult the veterinarian, as stress in the dog can have harmful consequences for its health.
Pathological causes of wheezing in dogs
Unfortunately, sometimes wheezing can be a sign of illness, which is why it is so important to know how to recognize these situations in advance in order to act quickly:
- heat stroke: Wheezing is one of the main symptoms that appear when a dog suffers from a heat stroke, which is common during the summer. In this case, very accelerated breathing and excessive salivation are observed.
- overweight and obesity: As with humans, overweight and obesity predispose the body to various diseases. A dog that carries a lot of pounds will have a harder time keeping his body temperature at a normal level, so he will pant more often.
- Poisoning: Increased breathing rate and excessive wheezing can be symptoms of poisoning in the dog. Depending on the toxic substance, vomiting, lethargy or neurological changes may also be observed.
In cases where the dog suffers from some respiratory or coronary condition, wheezing will also occur as a symptom of it. Therefore, in these cases, it is essential that the veterinarian conducts periodic follow-up to assess the dog's health and the effectiveness of the pharmacological treatment in cases where necessary.
Consult your veterinarian for warning signs
If excessive wheezing does not clearly correspond to an emotionally tense situation, but appears accompanied by other signs that may indicate that something is not right, do not hesitate to take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
In addition to being a regulatory mechanism, wheezing can hide very serious organic changes and, therefore, these also need veterinary attention as soon as possible.
