Why Is My Dog Breathing Fast? 12 Conditions to Consider

“Why is my dog breathing fast?” is a fairly common question from dog parents. Sometimes rapid breathing can be normal, but other times it may signal a problem. Integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby puts your mind at ease by explaining how to tell if your dog’s breathing is normal and discussing 12 conditions that may cause your dog to breathe fast.

As a dedicated dog parent, you may spend a lot of time staring at your adorable dog. So it only makes sense that sometimes you might wonder if what you are seeing is normal. This is especially the case with breathing because your dog’s rate and type of breathing can vary greatly through the day.

My goal is to help you understand what is “normal” for your dog and when you might need to call a vet.

What is “normal” breathing for a dog?

As a vet and a dog mom, I notice everything about my dog including his breathing. I notice that his breathing changes when at rest, when sleeping, and when playing. Here’s what “normal” breathing looks like for healthy dogs…

Normal breathing while resting

At rest, a dog should breathe easily through the nose with mouth closed. The number of breaths (inhales and exhales) a minute will be approximately 10 to 35. (For more details on how to measure your dog’s respiratory rate, check out my article on dog vital signs).

If your dog is lying in a sunbeam, the ambient temperature is warm, or your dog just finished exercising, it can be normal for your dog to be breathing fast while resting. But his or her breathing should return back to baseline when he or she cools off or calms down. If it doesn’t, or if your dog starts to frequently breathe fast while resting with no identifiable cause, this could indicate an underlying problem.

Breathing fast while sleeping can be normal (but isn’t always)

Especially during REM sleep, a dog may breathe faster while sleeping. Also, a dog may whimper, twitch, or growl when dreaming. As long as you can wake your dog up, and he or she acts (and breathes) normally once awake, this isn’t a cause for concern. Your dog is probably just having a dream, not something more scary like a seizure in dogs.

However, if you start to consistently notice your dog is breathing faster while sleeping than he or she normally does, and you can’t find a reason (e.g. dreaming or lying in the sun), this could be an early indicator of worsening heart disease or other issues.

Panting is normal when playing or when outside in hot weather

A dog may start panting with an open mouth and tongue sticking out when playing and romping. And your dog will also start panting to get rid of heat when outside in hot weather. Panting is a normal way for dogs to cool down since they don’t have as many sweat glands as people do. As long as your dog isn’t panting extremely hard, is still acting normal, and stops panting once he or she cools down, I’m not too worried.

What is “abnormal” breathing for a dog?

Now that you have an idea of what is normal breathing for dogs, let’s talk about what might be a cause for concern. Be on the look out for:

• Rapid breathing (greater than 40 breaths per minute), especially while resting or sleeping.
• Abnormal noises (grunts, squeaks, snorts or harsh sounds) while breathing.
• Panting for seemingly no reason (no recent exercise, environment is cool, not laying in a sunbeam).
• Rapid breathing through a slightly open mouth without the tongue sticking out.
• Increased respiratory effort (pushing with the abdomen to get air in or out).
• Shallow rapid breathing or abnormally slow and deep breathing.
• Bluish tinge to gums or tongue.
• Breathing hard or fast while standing up and being unwilling to rest or lie down for long.
• Acting like he or she can’t catch his or her breath or looking distressed.

If you notice any of these signs, this may mean that your dog is experiencing breathing issues. Immediately bring him or her to your veterinarian or make an emergency vet visit for evaluation and treatment. Respiratory distress can be fatal, so don’t delay in getting help for your dog.

12 reasons why my dog is breathing so fast

From here on, we are going to talk about some of the common medical conditions that may cause your dog to be breathing fast and/or breathing abnormally. Be warned that many conditions can cause similar signs and not every possible problem is listed here. Your vet is the best person to diagnose and treat your dog if he or she is having breathing problems.

1. Laryngeal paralysis

Your dog’s larynx is also called a “voice box” because of its box-like shape and role in making sounds. It is located in the back of the throat at the top of the trachea. Small muscles cause the laryngeal flaps to cover the tracheal opening when your dog eats and drinks. They also pull the laryngeal flaps out of the way while the dog breathes to allow maximal airflow into the trachea.

If there is a problem with the nerves that control the laryngeal muscles, the laryngeal flap(s) don’t move and can partially obstruct the entrance to the trachea. This creates resistance as air moves past the defective flap(s) and means less air gets to the lungs.

Neck trauma and other underlying health issues can cause laryngeal paralysis in dogs . However, in senior dogs, the cause is often unknown. Researchers believe it may be one component of a condition called geriatric onset laryngeal paralysis and polyneuropathy (GOLPP). Dogs who have GOLPP may also suffer from generalized muscle weakness and esophageal dysfunction (which may lead to megaesophagus in dogs).

Laryngeal paralysis seems to be more common in some breeds such as German Shepherd dogs, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers but can occur in any dog.

Symptoms of laryngeal paralysis

Signs of laryngeal paralysis in dogs include:

• Raspy or harsh breathing
• Changes in your dog’s “voice” (bark sounds different)
• Increased panting
• High-pitched noisy breathing which worsens when excited or active

In severe cases, laryngeal paralysis can cause acute respiratory distress. If you see that your dog is having breathing difficulties or his or her gums appear blue in color, contact your nearest veterinarian immediately. Some dogs with laryngeal paralysis benefit from tie back surgery for dogs and/or medical and environmental management (more on that in my blog Canine Laryngeal Paralysis: A Veterinarian Answers Your Questions).

2. Tracheal collapse (collapsing windpipe)

The trachea is the large tube-shaped structure that runs down the neck and into the chest before splitting into the main bronchi (i.e. airways) that lead into the lungs. Among other things, the trachea functions to deliver oxygen-rich air to the lung tissue and transport carbon dioxide-laden air back to the outside world.

A healthy trachea is comprised of firm cartilaginous rings that make up about 80% of the circumference of the trachea. The other 20% is a soft-tissue structure called the dorsal tracheal membrane. It spans the space between the edges of the rings.

As dogs age, the cartilaginous tracheal rings lose their rigidity, and the dorsal membrane tends to sink down into the tracheal space. These conditions cause compression of the airway, shrinking the amount of space through which air can move. Picture this sort of like trying to drink a thick milkshake through a flimsy straw. The straw tends to collapse so you don’t get much milkshake.

The same thing happens in collapsed trachea in dogs. As the trachea collapses and narrows during breathing, the dog can’t get as much air into or out of the lungs. This leads to frequent coughing (sounds like a goose honking), rapid breathing, and sometimes respiratory distress. Immediately contact your vet if your dog is having trouble breathing.

Tracheal collapse can happen in any dog, but it tends to be more common in Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers, Boston Terriers, Pomeranians, Lhasa Apsos, and Toy Poodles. Obesity also tends to make tracheal collapse more severe. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to know how to assess the canine body condition score (BCS) of your dog and learn how to help your dog lose weight if needed.

3. Respiratory infections like kennel cough and pneumonia

Many bacterial, viral, and fungal agents can infect the respiratory tract (nose, trachea, airways, and lung tissue). Some infections remain contained to the trachea or larger airways where they cause inflammation of those structures. Others make it all the way to the lung tissue.

Kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) is a well-known airway and trachea infection that may be caused by a multitude of bacteria or viruses. Dogs with an uncomplicated case of kennel cough may only have a harsh cough but still breathe normally.

However, sometimes the agents causing kennel cough (or other infectious agents) can spread deep into the lung tissue, causing pneumonia in dogs. Alternatively, a dog may develop aspiration pneumonia if he or she breathes in a bit of food, fluid, or vomit. This can happen to any dog but is more common in dogs with laryngeal paralysis because their airway is unprotected due the the malfunctioning laryngeal flaps.

Pneumonia is problematic because the alveoli (i.e. airsacs) in the lungs become filled with fluid and debris from the infection. Now the alveoli can’t do their job of exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen as effectively. This may lead to low oxygen in the blood and fast or difficult breathing. Fever and a lethargic dog are two other common pneumonia symptoms.

4. Bronchitis and other lower airway diseases

There are any number of diseases that can affect the lower airways such as chronic bronchitis in dogs (inflammation of the bronchioles or small airways) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a type of progressive and chronic bronchitis. The cause for some of these lower airway diseases is unknown, but factors like obesity, infections, and environmental irritants can worsen the intensity of symptoms.

Ongoing inflammation causes narrowing of the lower airways and stiffening of the airways. This makes it more difficult for oxygen to get to the lungs and for carbon dioxide to leave the lungs. As a result, dogs with lower airway disease may cough frequently. They may show fast, heavy breathing and they may pant more often. Sometimes even mild physical activity can cause breathing difficulties, and severely affected dogs may collapse due to lack of oxygen. 

If your dog is coughing or breathing fast, make an appointment with your veterinarian. Also, observe whether the respiratory problems seem to be linked to exposure to anything in the environment (i.e. cigarette smoke, air fresheners, candles, pollen, etc.).

5. Heat stroke

In order to help regulate their body temperature, humans sweat through special glands in their skin when they get hot. As the sweat evaporates, it helps to cool them down. However, dogs only have sweat glands in their paws. This is not enough to help them cool off completely, so they rely on panting as a primary mechanism for dissipating heat.

Sometimes there are instances where a dog’s body cannot cool down fast enough. If a dog is stuck inside a car (even if the windows are cracked) on a hot day, panting is not enough to lower a rapidly rising body temperature as the temperature inside the car climbs. (To learn more, head over to the AVMA website to read their article about the dangers of pets in vehicles.)

Or if a dog is exercising on a warm day, he or she can easily become an overheated dog. Many dogs will keep on playing even when they are extremely hot, so you can’t rely on them to know when to stop.

By the time the dog’s body temperature goes beyond 106 degrees Fahrenheit, the internal organs can start to shut down. This condition is called heat stroke in dogs, and it is a life-threatening medical emergency.

Signs of heatstroke in dogs

Some of the tell-tale signs of heat stroke in dogs are:

• Heavy panting or difficulty breathing
• Collapse
• Disorientation and/or seizures or tremors
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea which may be bloody
• Change in gum color—may be bluish purple, grey, or bright red

If you notice any of these signs, immediately head to the veterinary clinic ASAP with the A/C blasting. You can quickly hose your dog down with cool water before jumping in the car but do not submerge your dog in water or use an ice bath as both could be dangerous.

Use caution in the heat

Especially during the summer, it is very important to know how to keep your dog cool and what steps to take to cool down your dog if he or she gets overheated. Even a slightly warm day can turn deadly, especially for dogs who are more prone to heatstroke. While all dogs could have heat stroke, it tends to be more common in:

• Dogs with a dark or thick haircoat that holds heat.
• Brachycephalic breeds (i.e. those with short noses) because they often have small nasal passages, a narrowed airway due to an elongated soft palate, tiny nostrils, and a skinny trachea, all of which make breathing and getting rid of heat quite difficult.
• Overweight or obese dogs. (Unsure? Read my post, Is My Dog Overweight?)
• Dogs with medical conditions such as heart disease, laryngeal paralysis, or collapsed trachea.

6. Heart Disease

The heart is one of the most important organs in your dog’s body because it pumps oxygen-rich red blood cells throughout the body. Pressure from the heart is part of what drives oxygen-depleted cells back toward the lungs in order to restock with the oxygen that a dog needs to survive. Anything that disrupts the heart’s function can be dangerous to your dog.

Heart disease in dogs can be defined as anything from electrical disturbances (e.g., arrhythmias) to disorders that affect the size, strength or function of the heart’s chambers (i.e. mitral valve disease in dogs, dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, or heartworm disease in dogs). The end result is a heart that is not functioning correctly.

Signs of heart disease

When the heart isn’t distributing enough oxygen around the body, your dog will begin to breathe faster to try to compensate. As fluid pools in the lungs or abdomen due to congestive heart failure in dogs, breathing becomes even more difficult.

Some other common symptoms of heart disease in dogs include:

• Coughing, especially at night or when excited
• Exercise intolerance
• Breathing fast while sleeping or resting (over 40 breaths per minute)
• Blue or purple gums
• Collapsing episodes
• Respiratory distress

If you notice any of these signs, contact your vet immediately. Heart disease isn’t curable. But it can often be managed for a period of time with different medications to continue to allow your dog to have a good quality of life.

The value of monitoring resting or sleeping respiratory rate for dogs with heart disease

Once your dog gets a heart disease diagnosis, your vet might talk to you about regularly evaluating your dog’s resting and/or sleeping respiratory rate. Persistent increases above baseline resting or sleeping respiratory rate or sudden marked increases may be an early signal that your dog’s condition is worsening. Even if you aren’t seeing other concerning symptoms, please contact your vet if your dog has heart disease and his or her sleeping or resting respiratory rate is increasing.

7. Pain

Dogs can experience pain for a variety of reasons and tend to be masters of hiding their pain. Sometimes they vocalize or favor a limb to show us they are hurting. Other times, signs of pain in dogs may be more subtle.

Painful dogs may pant excessively or breathe fast while resting. They may also become more withdrawn and hide, hold their bodies abnormally, or exhibit other behavior changes.

Some common sources of pain in dogs include:

• Orthopedic problems such as canine arthritis, hip dysplasia in dogs, torn ACL in dogs, or IVDD in dogs
• Gastrointestinal problems like foreign bodies or pancreatitis in dogs
• Mouth pain from dental disease in dogs, dog tooth abscesses or dog mouth cancer
• Ear or eye pain from ear infections (i.e. otitis in dogs), injuries, corneal ulcers in dogs, glaucoma in dogs, etc.
• Recent surgery
• Cancer (e.g. osteosarcoma in dogs, prostate cancer in dogs, bladder cancer in dogs, etc.)

If you think your dog could be in pain, make an appointment with your vet. Although it may be tempting to share your pain medication with your dog, human medications like Advil can be dangerous for dogs, so don’t do it. Instead, partner with your vet to find the pain medications and other options for natural pain relief for dogs that work best for your dog.

8. Cancer

Cancer in dogs can affect your dog’s breathing in a few different ways. If your canine companion has lung cancer in dogs in one of the lung lobes, inflammation and pressure from the tumor can cause coughing and trouble breathing. Plus, cancer elsewhere in the body can metastasize (i.e. spread) to the lungs, which can also cause a dog to breathe more rapidly.

Additionally, certain cancers can cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs (i.e. pulmonary edema) or around the lungs (i.e. pleural effusion). Pulmonary edema interferes with the dog’s ability to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. And the fluid from pleural effusion compresses the lungs so they can’t fully expand. Both of these conditions can lead to an increased respiratory rate or changes in respiratory effort.

9. Anemia

Oxygen, which is vital for survival, is carried to the tissues on red blood cells. Thus, with anemia in dogs (i.e. low red blood cell numbers) less oxygen can get to the tissues. When this happens, the dog may start breathing faster to try to compensate. Pale gums, lethargy, and weakness are other signs of anemia.

There are a variety of causes of anemia in dogs including:

• Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA in dogs)—the body attacking its own red blood cells
• Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP in dogs)—the body attacking the platelets, which leads to decreased blood clotting ability
• Tick borne diseases in dogs
• Blood-sucking parasites (i.e. fleas, ticks, hookworms, etc.)
• Internal bleeding from trauma, hemangiosarcoma in dogs, splenic masses in dogs, stomach ulcers in dogs, and other causes
• Bone marrow suppression from cancer, chronic disease, etc.
• Toxins, chemicals, and medications
• Cancer

Anemia can be life-threatening. If you suspect your dog could be anemic, bring your dog to the veterinarian immediately for testing and treatment.

10. Anxiety

If you are asking yourself, “Why is my dog panting and restless?” one of the possible answers is anxiety. In addition to panting excessively or breathing fast, anxious dogs may also yawn when not tired, cower and tremble, or become destructive or aggressive.

Dogs can become anxious for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Separation anxiety
• Noise phobia (i.e. thunderstorms, fireworks, construction, etc.)
• Changes in the home (i.e. new baby, new pet, visitors, moving, remodeling, etc.)
• Dementia in dogs
• Fear and stress associated with pain in dogs
• Senior dog anxiety at night

If you believe your dog is anxious, please talk to your vet sooner rather than later. Addressing anxiety when it first starts is much easier than addressing it when it has been reinforced by weeks, months, or years of anxiety-inducing situations. There are many pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical options that can help a dog deal with anxiety.

11. Breed-related characteristics

With their short squished noses, brachycephalic dogs like French and English Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, and Pugs can have some anatomic features that make breathing more difficult. The term for this is brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Dogs with BOAS may have one or more of the following:

• Extra long soft palate
• Narrow (stenotic) nostrils
• Everted laryngeal saccules (tissues that protrudes into the top of the trachea)
• Laryngeal collapse

Additionally, some brachycephalic dogs may have a hypoplastic (i.e. narrow) trachea. However, this finding isn’t strictly a component of BOAS.

Dogs with BOAS may make a snorting, snoring, or high-pitched sound when they breathe. Plus, more severely affected dogs may have difficulty exercising, breathe fast, turn blue, collapse, or go into respiratory distress. And this breed-related condition also makes them more prone to heatstroke since they can’t dissipate heat as well as other dogs.

Thankfully, there are surgical procedures that can help correct some of the abnormalities associated with BOAS. But it is still best to be cautious when exercising any brachycephalic dog, especially if the weather is warm or humid.

12. Compressed lungs

The lungs must have room to expand in the chest in order for the dog to breathe properly. This means that anything that fills some of the space where the lungs should be could potentially cause your dog to breathe faster than normal or have trouble breathing. A dog’s lungs may get compressed when fluid, blood, air, or pus builds up in the chest. Or in the case of a diaphragmatic hernia, when the abdominal organs enter the chest cavity, they can compress the lungs.

Additionally, anything going on in the abdomen that puts pressure on the diaphragm can also compress the lungs. For example, in bloat in dogs (GDV or gastric dilatation and volvulus), the huge gas-filled stomach can compress the diaphragm, making it hard for the dog to breathe. Or severe ascites (i.e. fluid accumulation in the abdomen, which may cause a pot-bellied dog appearance) can also put pressure on the diaphragm.

Additional causes for rapid breathing in dogs

While less common, some additional reasons for a dog to be breathing fast include:

• Metabolic disorders which change a dog’s acid-base status such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA in dogs) or chronic kidney failure in dogs
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)
• Smoke inhalation
• Pulmonary contusions (bruised lungs, usually due to trauma)
• Pulmonary thromboembolism (blood clot in the lungs)
• Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema (accumulation of fluid in the lung tissue due to drowning, choking, electrocution, or another cause that is not related to the heart)
• Medications—Some narcotic pain medications may cause increased panting in dogs
• Diseases affecting the respiratory muscles such as myasthenia gravis in dogs
• Being at high altitude
• Parasites (lungworms)

Speak with your vet

As you have probably gathered from this list, there are a variety of reasons a dog might be breathing fast and many of them can be quite serious or even life-threatening. If you are unsure if your dog is breathing normally, try to count his or her breathing rate (remembering that 10-35 breaths per minute is considered normal and anything over 40 breaths per minute is definitely a cause for concern). Also, consider taking a quick video of how your dog is breathing in case anything changes by the time you get to the vet.

Most importantly, seek veterinary care promptly if you have any concerns about how your dog is breathing. You know your dog, so trust your instincts. I know it isn’t easy to be intently staring at your dog and trying to decide if you should call the vet or wait and see what happens.

So when in doubt, make the call. Maybe you will get the good news that your dog is fine. Or maybe your attention to detail will help your vet catch one of these conditions before it becomes more serious. Watching your dog’s breathing may even save his or her life!

If your dog was breathing fast, what was the cause?

Please share your pup’s story below so others can learn from your experiences.