Is my dog's frequent sighing normal when they're relaxed?

Some dogs can groan or make noises like this when they are changing position, and it may not be significant. If he seems to have having difficulty breathing, if he is using his belly more when breathing out, or if he seems to be painful you may want to take him to the vet. Otherwise I think you could continue to monitor him and mention the change to his owner when you're done petsitting.

This sounds like perhaps a hiccup or respiratory distress, hard to tell based on your description and without seeing the event myself. If your pet seems to be having a hard time breathing continuously or has increased respirations >50 breathes per minute, then I would recommend taking her into the vet for a good physical examination. However if this is intermittent and does not seem to trouble here I would monitor for now, take a video recording of the event and schedule an appointment at some point to get a vet to look at this an ensure this is not something to worry about.

The increased respiratory rate could be from him dissipating heat but it could also be pathological. I cannot tell you for sure just based on your description. I suggest you take a video of him breathing heavy at rest and then take him in to your vet for an examination. Show the vet the video and see what they think. The vet will take that video combined with their examination findings and let you know if it seems like his breathing is normal or abnormal. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not necessarily a cause of concern. Dogs can make these sounds for many reasons and most of the time it is to just seek attention. I would not be concerned about this. Good luck!

The tube may have irritated his throat. This is actually common, just like when people have anesthesia. Typically it resolves rather quickly. I would recommend video taping what you are seeing to show your veterinarian. I would just confirm that this is what is going on and they can easily either wait it out or give medication. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

This can be a number of respiratory issues including laryngeal paralysis, laryngeal obstruction, or just a benign condition called reverse sneezing, where it appears he is struggling to breathe but it is actually a tickling of the larynx and completely harmless. See this video for an example of reverse sneezing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IszRBYxsGI The event has to be seen to give you a better idea of if this is something to worry about or not. I would recommend recording the next episode on your phone and then showing the video to your vet for advise on what to do. If at any point your pet's tongue turns blue or he passes out or if you feel that he is in respiratory distress, then I encourage you to go to an ER vet.

If River is normal when she wakes up and acts normally during the day (eating, drinking, playing, no vomiting, no diarrhea, etc) then I would not worry about it. If she seems sick in any way then I would get her to the vet for an exam. I suggest you take a video of this behavior so you can show your vet when you take River in for her next set of vaccinations so they can give you better advice. Hope this helps. Best wishes.