From Heat to Health: 7 Reasons Your Husky Can’t Stop Panting!
Have you noticed your husky panting more than usual? We’ll answer why does my husky pant so much. The panting could be because of a serious medical issue.
If your dog is panting more than usual, it could be indicative of something serious.
Table of Contents
Why is my Husky panting so much?
Your husky could be panting for a variety of reasons. The most common one is because it just finished exercising.
The other common reasons dogs pant is because they are hot or have a disease.
7 Reasons Why do Huskies pant so Much
- Huskies pants to cool off.
- Huskies pants in excitement or when they are super happy.
- Stress and anxiety may trigger panting.
- Huskies pants when they play a lot.
- When Siberian Huskies are in pain or discomfort they pant too much.
- Physical problems or injuries cause panting as well.
- Heat or sudden increase in environmental temperatures.
How can I tell if my dog has heatstroke or poisoning?
A dog’s breath will often change after they perform an action, such as panting after exertion. Dogs like bulldogs, pugs, and Boston terriers have heavier breathing patterns than other breeds of dogs due to their short snouts.
If your dog has heatstroke it will have the following symptoms (source):
- Heavy panting and difficulty breathing.
- Excessively drooling.
- The dog appears lethargic, drowsy, or uncoordinated.
- Collapsed or vomiting.
If your dog has been poisoned it will have the following symptoms (source):
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Extreme salivation
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Dry heaving
- Pale gums
- A racing heart
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Weakness or lethargy
- Falling over or collapsing.
Why is my dog panting?
Panting heavily is one symptom of Cushing’s syndrome, respiratory or cardiac failure. Cushing’s syndrome can lead to a dog panting excessively.
Dogs can be affected by this disease if the adrenal glands start producing too much cortisol in the body. Symptoms include thirst and urination, a pot-bellied appearance, excessive hunger, and hair loss combined with heavy panting.
Luckily it’s a treatable disease with medicines or surgery if necessary.
What causes Huskies to pant?
There are many causes of panting in dogs. In some cases, early-stage panting could be a result of an issue with the lungs, throat, or the lungs themselves which can lead to disruption and panting activities. Treatment for this condition typically depends on what is currently going on and how bad it has become.
Panting and heavy breathing among dogs (particularly mothers) may be a sign of eclampsia, also known as milk fever.
Though it is less serious for humans, it can worsen lactation for the mother dog.
Infection, irritation, and allergies within the airways can result in noise, and wheezing breath among dogs.
There is any number of reasons for a dog to start wheezing, but regardless the change should always be noted.
If the dog is coughing or alternatively panting heavily; you should always visit the vet
1. Symptoms and causes of heart failure in dogs
Both dogs and humans can experience heart failure. Dogs must possess the same symptoms as humans when undergoing such a condition.
Heart failure in dogs is caused by a variety of factors. If you have noticed any symptoms such as coughing, reduced exercise tolerance, and/or breathing issues, your vet will diagnose the problem.
Treatment might involve different medications such as diuretics (for high blood pressure) and ACE inhibitors (for inflammation).
2. Handling injury and pain
Dogs are intelligent, but they cannot express themselves to you with words. They can only show their pain with sounds and facial expressions.
If a heavy panting accompanies other signs of injury in your dog, then this might be a symptom and the injury can be detected.
The signs of pain or trauma may include a refusal to lie down, feeling anxious, pupils that are enlarged, restlessness, and biting at the site of the pain.
You may have seen dogs wag their tails when in pain, but they often mask this pain by displaying normal behaviors. This can also be seen with dogs who have hit their face on the car.
If you suspect that your dog is in pain, then you need to see a vet right away.
Medical side effects can be caused by prednisone (among other medications), so it’s important to keep an eye on your dog and see the vet if he or she is nodding heavily due to a medication.
3. Signs of a Heat Stroke
Prevention is key. If you see your dog panting, then it may be due to heatstroke and an urgent response needs to take place.
Dogs will show symptoms such as weakness, seizures, diarrhea, excessive panting, fast heart rate, glassy eyes, and drooling.
To treat a heatstroke, take your dog’s rectal temperature. Once it is back to 103, stop taking the temperature.
How to help your dog cool down and stay cool
Please remember that the water must be cool and not cold when putting your dog in it.
It is important to remember that you “want to cool down the dogs gradually”.
You should always use cool water when cooling down your dog, not cold or hot. You can give them ice cubes to lick as an alternative method.
Dogs who become overheated need to be taken to the vet as soon as possible.
So, to avoid heatstroke for your dogs, you should never leave them in a parked car. It’ll be better to keep them at home than expose them to the risks of heatstroke.
When to see a vet for panting
Dogs often pant with excitement, exercise, or when it’s hot. If your dog is displaying the following symptoms, you should ask your vet for help:
- The dog has been panting day in, and day out
- You might be concerned that your pet might have a medical condition
- The dog has purple, blue, or white gums or tongue. This means he is not getting enough oxygen.
Is your Husky panting because of heat or anxiety?
Therefore, breath pressures found in the Huskies can cause something called pneumothorax. This means that the more air is in the pleural space, the less it is in your lungs. Based on this condition, it will become harder for the Huskies to breathe.
The cause of excessive panting in my dog
Among the dogs, the snorting sound could increase due to reverse sneezing also known as Pharyngeal Gag Reflex.
Dogs snort when they catch a whiff of something or after smelling a foreign scent. It looks like choking and the blaring inhalation of air can sound like they’re inhaling a sneeze, but it’s not.
Dogs can experience reverse sneezing which means they will vocalize and sometimes show signs of distress. It might be difficult to watch your dog in this state.
Should I be worried about the panting in my dog?
There could be a variety of factors that make you think there is something stuck in your dog’s throat. These may include hacking, kennel cough, and other nasal diseases.
These factors could be caused by a wide range of different bacteria and viruses.
The symptoms of kennel cough are usually identified by the presence of inflammation along the upper respiratory tract, including the windpipe and larynx.
Learn why dogs pant and what to do when they’re doing it excessively
If you know that a dog sneezes often due to an inflammation or irritation in their throat, nose, or sinuses, you must be aware of it.
However, if it’s not happening because of airway irritation there are many possibilities. Anything goes down the airway, so anything from dust to inhaled hair can happen.
Due to its link with allergies, spring is the most common season where frequent reverse sneezing is found among dogs.
