If you have a pooch, you might have seen him panting on a common basis. Panting in dogs is a natural response to different types of concerns or situations. There are several reasons why dogs pant and as a loving pet parent, it is ideal to be knowledgeable about each of these reasons.

This post will cover the top 5 reasons why dogs pant, continue reading to learn more.

To regulate breathing

It is a widely known fact that one of the main reasons why dog’s pant is to regulate their breathing. You can observe that your pooch will indulge in panting soon after exercising or running. Panting in such situations helps your furry friend to normalize his breathing pattern quickly. More importantly, the activity also helps to cool down his body temperature.

When dogs indulge themselves in exercise or any type of extreme physical activity, their muscles undergo a process called anaerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration is a respiration process which does not involve oxygen. The process converts glucose directly into lactic acid to supply energy. However, when the dogs exert themselves too much, they need to recirculate oxygen and panting is the prime means to do it.

Sunstroke

Sunstroke is one of the other reasons that forces panting in dogs. When your dog is exposed to extreme temperature or heat, their body heats up and they find it hard to regulate the temperature because of the environmental temperature. In such a scenario, taking in the air only through nostrils might not do the job. This is where panting comes in handy; panting helps dogs to take in cool air in abundance to normalize the body temperature.

As a responsible pet parent, you should always keep an eye on your pooch during summer or a hot day to ensure that he doesn’t indulge in excessive panting and slip into the initial stages of heatstroke or sunstroke.

Health concerns

Health concerns in dogs can also trigger panting along with other symptoms. Dogs can also pant excessively when they are in pain, so if you observe your dog with panting and an abnormal limb, it can be a fracture. Dogs can also pant for other health concerns like bloat, pancreatitis, muscular stiffness and any issues with the spine.

Panting can also be a symptom of nausea, upset stomach or food poisoning. On most of the occasions, panting might be accompanied by other symptoms like shivering and lethargy.

Fear

You can observe dogs shivering and panting during thunderstorms. The feeling of fear or nervousness can trigger panting in dogs. This is why you see dogs panting excessively during fireworks or when he has to face something abnormal for the first time.

Genetic breathing issues

Born with a flat face, brachycephalic dog breeds are vulnerable to breathing issues. The elongated soft palate and narrow nostrils make it difficult for these breeds to indulge in smooth respiration. This is where they resort to panting to take-in sufficient amount of air to carry out the normal body functionalities.

Consider any of these factors when your dog seems to be panting excessively. If you feel that any of these factors might be the reason for the excessive panting and if the situation seems uncontrollable, seek medical attention as soon as possible.