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Last Updated on February 17, 2023
“Help! My dog is panting and restless!” If this resonates with you, your dog might be in some kind of trouble. It is certainly not normal that your dog is behaving in such a pattern, especially if they are restless or panting at night. There are many various reasons at which why this is happening to your dog, and you have certainly come to the right place for the answers. Read on, unless you want your dog’s problems to exacerbate.
My Dog Is Panting And Restless: Why?
If your dog is panting and restless after some exercise, then it is actually fine. This is because dogs pant to let off excess heat when their body temperature is hot after some exercise. But, if your dog is panting and restless even when the weather is perfectly fine, then it can be a clear indication that your dog is in some serious problems.
So what problems can cause the dog to pant and be restless for no obvious reasons?
The Dog Is Scared
This is actually one of the top reasons, assuming that there is no internal problems nor change in the dog’s diet. One example of the dog being scared is due to separation anxiety. When the are exposed to situations that they are not familiar with, they tend to be scared. It is a very common reaction to unknown situations. This surely resonates with me, or perhaps even you.
When your dog is scared, they may also Dog Drooling Excessively From One Side Of Mouth. This will cause many problems for you, especially if they do not have a washable dog bed.
Motion Sickness Do Occur In Dogs Too
This is actually a subset of the previous problem. Motion sickness does occur in dogs too. And since it is indeed a feeling that is very foreign to them (they don’t travel around in Uber as often as humans do), inevitably the dogs will start to pant and be restless, eventually leading to the expulsion of their lunch or dinner in the form of vomit. And worse, once they start to vomit, they will feel uncomfortable and there goes about the cyclical problem of panting and being restless.
Actually, dogs can get motion sickness when they are traveling by plane too. While it may not be obvious to the majority, traveling by plane is one of the highest causes of heavy anxiety and hence panting and restlessness in dogs.
If you are looking at traveling with your dog, then you should really purchase the Airline Approved Pet Carrier.
Heatstroke
Dogs pant to regulate their body temperature, and excessive panting can be a sign of heatstroke. Heatstroke occurs when a dog’s body temperature rises to dangerous levels, typically due to exposure to high temperatures or prolonged physical activity. Other symptoms of heatstroke may include lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If you suspect your dog may be suffering from heatstroke, move them to a cool area immediately and offer them water to drink. You can also use a damp towel to help bring down their body temperature. However, it’s important to seek veterinary care as soon as possible, as heatstroke can be a life-threatening condition.
Internal Organ Problems
This is perhaps one of the toughest problems you can have if your dog is panting and showing signs of restlessness. When your dog has internal problems, they will feel extreme discomfort. All the panting and restlessness is just their body’s reaction towards all the pain and suffering that is happening inside their body, which is completely oblivious to humans unless the dog is examined by a vet.
Before you go about wondering why didn’t you know that the pain and discomfort is a result of internal problems, you have to understand that dogs cannot just convey their feelings through words like how we humans could. They can only react based on how their body reacts to the problems involuntarily. Hence, when the dogs pant without any external reasons, then it is a very good indication that something is really wrong with the dog and you should get them checked out when you could. If you could, listen or observe their behavior at night, when it should be cooler. Or even if your dog is experiencing some heavy breathing, it can be a cause for concern.
Other internal problems like high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, Cushing’s disease in dogs, Kidney problems, Adrenal Gland cancer or even liver failure.
Irregularities In Diet
This is perhaps one of the least conspicuous problems of all. Just so you know, the irregularities in your dog’s diet have quite an effect on your dog. And this is why we strongly urge our readers never to change the dog’s diet without a compelling reason.
Other than changing your dog’s diet, there is some food that can cause problems in your dog’s system, which will lead to the eventual discomfort that causes excessive panting and restlessness in your dog.
Should you ever need to change your dog’s diet, do seek advice from your vet.
Anemic Dogs
Didn’t expect this? Yes, dogs can suffer from anemia too. When this occurs, there will be a low rate of oxygen that flows into the dog. This can be a result of many other complications. When this happens, this means that the heart will have to work extra hard to pump blood throughout the body. Guess what happens when this occurs? Yes, you are right! The dog starts to get restless and pants more often too. Just imagine yourself in the same situation, and you will feel exactly the same.
Occasionally, dogs, who are anemic, will experience many problems including collapsing without any reason too.
An anemic dog who doesn’t have treatment right away can be in serious danger. Some of these symptoms can even be fatal. Anemia is something that will likely have to be treated for your dog’s entire life, but it can be easily managed with the right kind of medication.
What Can You Do To Stop Excessive Panting And Restlessness in Dogs?
Before we go into the remedies, there are certain dog breeds that pants every time even when there isn’t any problem with them. Breeds like Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, they all have a natural tendency to drool and pant all the time.
Assuming that your dog really does not pant or exhibit restlessness in normal conditions, then there are indeed many ways in which you can stop the excessive panting and restlessness in dogs.
First of all, you should determine if the dog is suffering from problems, or it is simply because they are under the weather, or if they have just undergone any exercise, which is well known to be causes of panting and restlessness. If this is really indeed the case, then you should let your dog rest and feed them with plenty of fluids.
If it is not the above, then you will need to figure out if you have changed your dog’s diet recently. If this is so, change it back to its usual diet and observe for any changes in behavior.
Assuming that all of the above has failed, then there are problems that even you might not be able to solve. In this sense, you should seek professional help. This is because, in the current scenario, only vets will be able to determine the root cause of the problems.
