Why is my senior dog breathing fast while awake? Is this normal?

It is possible that he has an underlying heart condition if his breathing continues for consecutive days in a row at this rate. I would recommend alerting his owners of this abnormal breathing so that they are informed. They may have already witnessed this themselves or may even be aware of a condition he has already. However, you are right to inquire about this, because breathing rates <30 breaths per minute while in a deep sleep are considered abnormal and the #1 cause of this is an underlying heart condition and potentially heart failure. Best of luck with Cody and informing the owners of your concerns for his overall health and well-being.

I'm glad Trinket was seen by a veterinarian and they didn't think her heart was a problem. I recommend using a little notebook to keep track of her resting respiratory rate. You can record the number of breaths she takes when she is sleeping and monitor this over time. If this number is increasing over time it is worth a recheck with your veterinarian. If Trinket seems fine during the day, and the number is higher one time, that is not a need for concern. It is trend over time that is more important. For anxiety, I like Composure chews and Adaptil diffusers. If these don't help, there are prescription medications that you can discuss with your veterinarian. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids/comfort-zone-diffuser-with-dap-for-dogs

I am afraid that is not normal. Considering that Snoopy is almost 16 years old my first thought here is that he needs his heart examined by your veterinarian. There is a condition almost every old dog gets, some worse than others, called endocardiosis. THis is a condition where the lips of the heart valves develop little nodules which then keeps the valves from closing properly and then the oxygenated blood is not effectively pumped into the rest of the body. This makes for a weak heart action and causes pulmonary edema, ie fluid in the lungs. The fluid in the lungs make breathing a chore (therefore a high respiration rate), and causes a moist cough when the dog is resting. Your dog also will not have as much energy as usual and slows down significantly. This can be significantly improved by giving diuretics and a heart medication that improved the output of the heart. Of course it is also possible that he has kennel cough or another respiratory condition. So I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam soon.

Poor girl. Heavy breathing that just starts in an older dog is highly suspicious of things like heart disease, a primary lung disease or even cancer. The next best step here would be to get Lady to your local vet for an x-ray of her chest. This is a great diagnostic tool to help up definitively say what is causing her breathing issues so that we know how to proceed with Lady and get her breathing as normal as possible again. I hope that you are able to get Lady checked out soon! Best of luck and take care.

Hopefully it's nothing but anytime you notice a change in the breathing character, you should pay attention. I advise to make an appointment with your veterinarian who will listen to her heart and lungs as well as check her throat for any abnormalities. There are may reason this could happen and its best to be safe. Avoid heavy activity until she is checked out. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Since Mae Rose is congested or having a harder breathing, it is best to get her seen by a vet. It may be a respiratory or sinus infection and could possibly involve her teeth. Or at her age, an underlying heart disease can cause a change in their breathing pattern. It is good that she has a normal appetite, as infections and lack of smelling due to congestion can alter their appetite.

While this respiratory rate is higher than the normal resting respiratory rate for a normal dog, some dogs have a higher resting respiratory rate and this May be hers. As long as her activity level is normal, she is eating and drinking and going to the bathroom okay I would just keep an eye on her and continue to monitor this. If it appears that she is in any sort of respiratory distress and she is using her abdominal muscles to breathe more, I would get her seen by a vet immediately. If she hasn't had a health exam since you adopted her I would get her seen by a vet for a routine check-up just to make sure everything is okay. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text consultation.