Why is my dog panting so much? What causes excessive panting?

Excessive panting when not hot can be a symptom of something else. I would monitor his water consumption very closely as diabetes and Cushings disorder are 2 endocrine disorders that can play a role. Also, pain and or anxiety. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They may recommend blood work to rule out the diseases we discussed. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I can understand your concern about Leona's increased panting. As you know, dogs can pant for a ton of different reasons. Some of these can include behavioral issues, such as anxiety, or medical problems, such as heart or lung diseases, heat stroke (unlikely in this case, I understand), or pain from an injury or arthritis. I'm glad that you've tried to actively cool Leona by using the air conditioner and by grooming her. Since it doesn't sound like that's changed her panting, I think it would be best to take her to the vet for a full physical exam. Your vet will be able to listen to her heart and lungs, and check her for sources of pain. It's really important to rule out any medical causes of this excessive panting, as some can be quite serious. If medical issues have been ruled out, your vet will be able to discuss possible causes and treatments of anxiety. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Excessive panting can be a sign of overheating, but also a sign of pain, or an endocrine disease such as Cushing's disease, especially in an old dog like yours, Arthritis is high on the list, as at that age your dog will definitely have arthritic changes that can be highly painful. Cushing;s disease is also on the list, especially if your dog developed a pot belly, drinks and urinates more than usual, pants heavily even when it is not hot, and maybe loses some hair. Both of these conditions need to be checked out by your veterinarian, in order to ensure a good quality of life for your dog. Arthritis pain can be treated well with a medication called Carprofen and/or other pain medications. Cushings symptoms can be treated with special medication that reduces the production of cortisone. A blood test can rule out Cushing's disease. I suggest you schedule an exam with your vet.

Ketoconazole is not known to cause excessive panting directly, but panting can be seen in general in dogs with Cushing's. Unless you are seeing other signs of significant illness, I would continue to monitor her for the time being. Look for any sort of vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice (yellowing), bleeding, or generalized increased lethargy. If any of these begin to occur, consider taking her to a hospital for treatment and diagnostics. Hope this is helpful.

These are vague signs that could indicate several things like anxiety or pain. If there is something they could be making him anxious (rain, thunder, fireworks, new people, etc), then he will calm down afterwards. Just give him some extra attention. If there is nothing you can think that is making him anxious he could be in discomfort. I would have your vet do an exam to make sure he doesn't need any pain medication. I would not give net human pain meds as most of these are toxic to dogs. I hope this helps!

Hi there, and good question about panting. Panting can be a sign of discomfort, anxiety, and occasionally a sign of an endocrine disorder called Cushing’s syndrome. Along with panting dogs with Cushings are usually drinking a lot of water, urinating frequently, and have an increased appetite. I would encourage you to have them evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They may be showing more signs of discomfort then is realized and they may benefit from medication and or supplements for arthritis. Best of luck and I hope they improve soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Onyx. I would recommend bloodwork to look for any underlying disease that can cause panting. Cushing's disease for example, is an adrenal gland disorder that will cause the dog to pant excessively. In middle age to older patients panting can also be the result of canine cognitive dysfunction. This is a disorder somewhat similar to Alzheimer's disease in people. There is no specific test for this, it is determined by your veterinarian asking you questions. Finally, anxiety can result in panting. There are anti-anxiety medications available help if this is the case. I hope this information helps!