My dog's tongue curls when panting. Is she thirsty on walks?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If the increased water drinking is only after playing (no matter the length of time) in 95 F weather then that is normal. That is hot weather for a thick coated dog. I would limit his time outside to only 5-10 mins when it is that hot. At this time I do not think he needs blood work. If he is drinking a lot with minimal activity in the cool weather then maybe he does. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Lassie may have gotten very hot outside and needs to pant to cool off. Dogs cannot sweat to release heat, so they have to pant to breathe off heat. As long as Lassie can settle down and act normally, eat, drink, etc, he should be OK. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on the pictures Chutki doesn’t look pale. If she is having a change in her exercise pattern, I would recommend an exam by a veterinarian to rule out pain (which can cause panting) or a heart condition. These are common signs seen for both. Good luck and kisses to Chutki!

If you are not already doing so, use a harness leash rather than a neck/muzzle leash. Dogs normalize their body temperature through panting so allowing her to keep her mouth wide open and not have pressure on the neck/throat may help. I would also recommend avoiding running/biking on tarred road surfaces. Black tar can become very hot in the summer and in addition to causing your dog to overheat, may even cause burns to the foot pads. Hope this helps. Happy biking!

Poor Happy! Good on you for checking her gums to make sure they look normal. Even though it's not hot outside, she could have worked herself up running around outside leading to her panting. Her drinking could be an effort to cool herself down. You can put a fan on her to see if that helps with the panting, and make sure she has plenty of access to fresh water at all times. Keep monitoring Happy, and if you do notice that her gums turn red or pale, she starts vomiting, becomes dizzy, shows weakness, has a bright red tongue, or the heavy panting continues over the next few hours despite trying to cool her down, I would have her seen by a vet right away. There is also a chance her panting could be due to a medical illness, such as cardiac disease, respiratory disease, or heartworms. Even if her panting stops, I would still have Happy seen by a vet tomorrow for a health check to be safe.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. His tongue is a normal pink color. He is likely panting a bit due to the heat or his exercise level. Difficulty breathing is indicated by abdominal effort when breathing, rapid or heavy breathing not associated with panting or a blue/grey color to the gums. These are all signs of an emergency. Dogs in these circumstances are acting very sick as well. I hope this information 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.