Puppy Panting While Sleeping? Reasons and Solutions

Why is my puppy panting while sleeping? Is it normal? Panting while sleeping is normal in most pets—It’s how they get to cool their bodies off while asleep. However, too much of it could be a red sign indicating a serious health problem.

This, often brings us to yet another question: “how can I tell if the panting is normal or abnormal?”

Panting is a sign that your dog is trying to adapt to some situation, either within its body or within its environment.

What’s the normal breathing rate in puppies?

The normal breathing for most puppies is somewhere between 15 and 40 breaths per minute. You can count the breathing rate of your puppy by closely observing the movement of the chest. If you observe the breathing rate of your puppy is abnormal, it’s panting, and you should be concerned.

So, why do puppies pant heavily?

Panting helps puppies to cool down especially when it’s extremely hot or after a rigorous exercise.

(Related: How to keep your dog Cool)

Some other common reasons why puppies pant heavily include:

1. Injury or pain

Dogs can’t tell us that they are in pain by means of words. However, you can figure it out by observing its body language and behaviors. So, you should be keen on the details. Heavy panting while sleeping is one sign that indicates your puppy is experiencing a certain discomfort and the least you could do is rush him or her to the vet.

2. The dog could be dreaming

I know this may sound hilarious and hard to believe, but puppies also dream. It could be a scary dream, (dogs have nightmares too) or they are just excited in their dream causing quick and heavy breathing.

3. Growth

Puppies grow and develop in their sleep and heavy breathing is part of the process. If it is just a few minutes of fast breathing, then there is nothing to worry about.

4. Stress

Stress is normal and all pets experience it a lot at every point of their lives. When a puppy joins a new family or environment, being stressed is normal since it has just left its mother and suddenly exposed to new changes. This too may cause your puppy to pant while sleeping as it helps reduce the stress limits. However with time they adjust.

5. Worms

Puppies can be infected with worms at a young age. They may get the worms from their mothers or the food they eat and they may pant in their sleep as a way of easing the discomfort caused by these worms. Find out if they have some worms or infection and all you’ll have to do is de-worm them, best if done by a vet.

6. Respiratory disorders

Does your dog pant while snoring? There are various respiratory ailments that could cause heavy breathing in puppies. These ailments include; lung tumors, pneumonia, and laryngeal paralysis. If you treat the discomforts, it’d help reduce the panting. Treatment for these diseases all depends on the time of diagnosis or how far it has progressed, so, again, it’s best if you take a trip to the vet.

Ensure your dog sleeps in comfort with these amazing dog beds: 

While there are a number of reasons as to why your dog would be panting heavily in its sleep, you need to ensure that an inappropriate sleeping place is not the cause of this worrying habit. Here, we have reviewed hundreds of dog beds to help you choose dog beds that will help make your dog sleep peacefully and conveniently. 

Conclusion

You should keep an eye on your pet so as to observe any change in habits—new habits could be surefire pointers to what’s causing some discomfort to your pup. First, you shouldn’t panic since panting is often normal in young dogs. However, if the problem persists and seems abnormal, the best course of action would be to visit the vet as soon as possible, don’t speculate. The most common signs to look out for before consulting your vet are:

• If the tongue turns to white, purple or blue meaning your pet isn’t getting enough oxygen.
• If the panting occurs regularly and intensely.
• If your dog seems to be in pain when panting.
• If the panting starts abruptly.

I hope you found this piece insightful. Please feel free to contact us for more info.

Resources; what to do when a puppy is breathing fast. 

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Puppy Panting While Sleeping.