Why Is My Puppy Breathing Hard?

Puppies breathe hard for plenty of ordinary reasons: a game, a warm room, excitement. Sometimes it is a sign of illness. This page explains how to tell the difference, how to count your puppy’s breathing at home, and when to call a vet.

It draws on VCA Animal Hospitals and PDSA, both of which we read in full. It is not veterinary advice: if your puppy is struggling to breathe, go to a vet now.

The PDSA first-aid page says “Struggling to breathe is a life-threatening emergency.” The signs it lists are noisy breathing, fast breathing, white, blue or grey gums, and stretching out to breathe more easily.

When To Go To A Vet Straight Away

The PDSA first-aid page says to take your pet to the vet immediately if they are unable to breathe, have collapsed, have white, grey or blue gums, or are getting rapidly worse. If you can, phone on the way so the practice is ready. Keep your puppy calm and cool, because stress makes breathing worse.

PDSA adds that fast, shallow breathing, panting with the tongue curling upwards, not wanting to move or low energy, and stretching out the neck are signs to give first aid and contact your vet immediately.

If the signs are milder and ease once your puppy calms down, the same PDSA page says they may not need emergency treatment, but it is still best to get them checked, especially if the breathing is quicker or noisier than usual.

Normal Reasons A Puppy Breathes Hard

PDSA says panting is part of a dog’s normal cooling process, because dogs do not sweat the way we do. You are more likely to see it after exercise or on a warm day. Dogs can also pant when stressed or anxious; PDSA lists pinned-back ears, a tucked tail and hiding away as signs of stress.

If your puppy is panting, PDSA suggests you stop exercise, offer fresh, clean water and give them time and space to calm and cool down. On hot days it advises avoiding exercise in the hottest part of the day and never leaving a dog in a hot car.

PDSA also says a happy and relaxed dog shouldn’t be panting. If your puppy pants with no obvious cause, or pants a lot of the time, talk to your vet.

How To Count Your Puppy’s Breathing At Home

VCA Animal Hospitals says a normal breathing rate while resting calmly or sleeping is between 15 and 30 breaths per minute, and that it is normal for the rate to be much higher when a dog is hot, stressed or active. That page is written for dogs and cats in general. We found no puppy-specific figure from a vet source, so ask your vet what is normal for your puppy.

To count it, wait until your puppy is asleep or resting quietly. Watch the chest: one breath is the chest moving in and out once. Count for a set time and scale up to a minute.

VCA says rates that are consistently greater than 30 breaths per minute at rest are considered increased and abnormal. It advises counting a few times over the next couple of hours to make sure it is a consistent finding, then contacting your vet as soon as possible. If other signs appear as well, it may be an emergency.

Signs That Go With A Breathing Problem

PDSA says illnesses such as BOAS, heart disease, Cushing’s disease or a fever can make a dog pant and breathe more quickly, and that the dog often shows other signs too. Coughing, drinking and peeing more, and low energy are the ones it lists. VCA lists these signs of heart disease or heart failure in dogs:

• Fast breathing when resting or sleeping (more than 30 breaths per minute)
• Increased effort to breathe (labored breathing)
• Restlessness and difficulty finding a comfortable position to sleep
• A change in how they sleep, for example now sleeping sitting up
• Coughing or gagging
• Weakness, or a reduced ability to exercise
• Collapse or fainting
• Decreased appetite or weight loss

We found no vet source that gives a puppy-specific list, so any of these signs is a reason to book a vet visit.

Flat-Faced Puppies

PDSA says flat-faced breeds often have trouble breathing because of the shape of their head, with narrow nostrils, nasal passages and windpipe, and often an overlong soft palate. It lists Pugs, Pekingese, French Bulldogs, British Bulldogs, Shih Tzus and Boston Terriers, and says the condition is called BOAS.

The PDSA page also says snuffles and snoring are not normal: “these noises are a sign that their dog is struggling to breathe”. Its symptom list includes noisy breathing, snoring, difficulty breathing, excessive panting even when resting, and struggling in hot weather. It says that if your dog develops sudden breathing problems, contact your vet immediately.

If you own a flat-faced puppy, read our page on French Bulldog health problems. To help keep a dog cool in warm weather, see cooling mats for dogs.

Heatstroke

PDSA says that if a dog keeps getting hotter despite panting, this can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening emergency. It lists breathing very heavily or being unable to stop panting, foaming at the mouth, bright red gums, shaking, weakness and collapse, confusion, vomiting and diarrhoea, and seizures. Contact your vet immediately if you see any of them.

Common Questions

The Bottom Line

Some hard breathing is normal for a puppy that has just played or is warm. Learn your puppy’s resting rate, watch the gum colour, and phone a vet at the first sign of struggling. If in doubt, call your vet.

DogFluffy.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. While we provide information resources and canine education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance.