Why is my senior dog breathing fast while sleeping? Should I worry?

It really depends on the situation. They can breathe fast normally with exercise, excitation and an increase in environmental temperature. If you are sure that none of those are a factor and her breathing rate has definitely increased from normal, then it could be due to a problem affecting the heart, lungs, or red blood cells. In this case it's best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to prevent further complications. Below is a link to a good guide on how to evaluate her breathing before scheduling a visit to the vet. I hope that helps and all is well with Maisie.

I am so sorry that Dylan is having a hard time. You are right to be worried. At his age, I would be worried about heart failure or cancer potentially making his breathing abnormal and causing him to be restless. Pneumonia is another concern. Unfortunately there isn’t anything you can do at home to help him breathe better. You need to get him in to see a vet right away. Seek a veterinary ER now. If you don’t have an ER in your area, call your regular vet—they likely have a recording for how to reach a vet after hours.

52 breaths per minute is considered tachypneic and points to some breathing problem such as an upper respiratory or pulmonary congestion or a heart condition. The fact that this is even worse when she is resting is also pointing to a possible heart condition. I suggest you schedule an exam with your veterinarian for an exam.

Heavy breathing while sleeping can be a sign of heart disease. I would highly recommend getting Sadie evaluated by your veterinarian for a cardiac work-up and listen to see if she has any murmurs or arrhythmias that could be causing this. Another possible cause is a primary lung disease.

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.

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

Poor Oscar! Panting and an increase in breathing rate could be due to pain or changes in his lungs. I would recommend counting his respiratory rate when he is sleeping. You can do this by counting the number of times he breathes in 15 seconds, then multiplying it by 4. Normally dogs breathe about 20 times a minute when they are sleeping. If Oscar is breathing over 30-40 times a minute while he is sleeping, I would contact his veterinarian and recheck the x-rays of his lungs to make sure there isn't any fluid or other problems in his lungs. If his breathing is normal when he is sleeping, then I would suspect that he is painful, so I would discuss additional pain control options with your veterinarian. Good luck! I hope Oscar is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.