It might be a bit alarming to see your puppy breathing a lot faster than you think is normal or healthy.
As a new puppy owner you may, understandably, wonder if you should be worried. Let’s set your mind at ease and get to that first.
Should I Worry That My Puppy Is Breathing So Fast?
The good news is it is not uncommon to see young and healthy puppies breathing rapidly . Even though it may seem odd, it is not normally a cause for concern when a healthy puppy exhibits this behavior. In most circumstances, rapid breathing in puppies can be explained by a natural process.
However, we should be mindful of the possibility that diseases or other conditions may contribute to the increase in breathing in a healthy young pup.
Therefore, it is important you understand:
- What is a normal respiratory rate for your puppy.
- What you should be concerned about.
- What steps you are going to need to take to correct the problem if it is not normal.
What Can Cause Rapid Puppy Breathing?
The vast majority of the time your puppy breathing fast is a result of something perfectly normal and healthy. An elevated breathing rate is usually a normal physical occurrence that happens for a variety of reasons and in a variety of situations.
He’s too hot: if you take your puppy for a walk and he starts to get a little hot, then he may start to breathe a little bit more quickly than normal. Keep in mind that dogs don’t sweat, so they have to pant to stay cool. The more their body temperature increases, the more quickly they are going to pant.
He’s excited: if he is out playing in the yard, and he suddenly sees a cat run across the back of the yard, that is likely to cause a surge of excitement. That excitement is going to increase his respiratory rate and his breathing is going to get faster.
Obviously, the situation is going to determine if your dog breathing fast is normal and natural or if it is something that you should be concerned about.
When Should I Be Concerned?
With that in mind, if your puppy is not doing anything that is out of the ordinary, and you notice that his breathing rate seems higher than you’ve seen it in the past when he was engaged in the same or similar activity, then it will probably be a good idea to consult with your family veterinarian about your concern and observations.
Whenever in doubt, take your pet to the vet so as to gauge the situation’s severity and to deal with any illnesses that may have developed.
Considering that it may or may not be a concern if you see your puppy breathing fast, when or how will you know if it is normal or if you should take him to the vet to have him checked for a serious medical condition?
How Many Breaths Per Minute Is Normal For a Healthy Dog?
Normally, a healthy rate of breathing for adult dogs is 10-30 breaths per minute; however, because of their higher metabolic rate, a puppy’s breathing rate is going to be a bit higher, perhaps 15-40 breaths per minute.
Keep in mind that this rate is when they are calm and resting, it can increase dramatically if they are excited or hot. Even 200 breaths per minute is not unusual after exercise, for example.
If you really want to know what is healthy for your puppy, then all that you need to do is count his breaths for a minute. That will give you the information that you need to make a decision as to whether you need to be worried because you will have a baseline from which to compare.
What’s a Normal Breathing Rate For My Puppy?
This simple exercise will let you know how many breaths is normal for your puppy to take each minute while he is calm and resting:
- Watch your puppy’s chest when he is sleeping or resting calmly. Every inhalation and exhalation counts as one breath.
- Keep a stopwatch going and count the number of breaths your puppy takes over a 30 second period of time.
- Now multiply that number by 2.
If you don’t think that you can capture that due to having a hyper puppy, then you can get the exact same information by watching him for just 15 seconds and multiplying the number of breaths by 4.
One thing to keep in mind is that respiratory rate is similar to blood pressure in that it may fluctuate quite a lot over a short period of time, so do the same check several times over a period of several hours, then just take an average of all of the checks.
Another thing to keep in mind is, as mentioned above, there are going to be more incidents of your puppy breathing fast for completely normal reasons than for not normal reasons.
If your puppy is hot or excited, he is going to pant. Remember that panting is not normal breathing because his respiratory rate and his breathing rate are going to be much faster than his normal resting rate.
You only want to watch him while he is calm and resting.
Why Is My Puppy Breathing Fast While He Is Sleeping?
Breathing fast while sleeping is also completely normal for puppies… and the most likely reason will delight you!
All mammals, including people, do weird things when sleeping, and puppies aren’t any exception. They, like every other mammal, twitch and jerk and kick while they are sleeping.
He’s most likely having a very exciting dream – and there’s a good chance it involves you!
If his legs are moving and he’s also ‘talking’ in his sleep, this is almost certainly the case. My dog almost never barks except when he’s asleep!
He may even get the hiccups while he’s asleep due to all the excitement!
Your puppy breathing fast while asleep could also be down to a normal metabolic process. Again, all mammals may experience these variations in breathing.
If your puppy’s fast breathing goes on for a long time while he is sleeping, or is otherwise a concern, then you might want to consult with your family vet about it just to be sure.
What Information Will Help My Vet?
Before you go to see your vet, try to determine if there is a pattern to your pup’s erratic breathing: you want to give them as much information to work with as possible.
If it is just an occasional or even one-off behavior then it is probably completely normal and not really a cause for concern. But you need to watch your puppy consistently in order to see if there is in fact a pattern.
Things to note when your puppy is breathing heavy include:
- His breathing rate.
- The time of day.
- What activity he is or has just been engaged in.
- When he last ate or had a drink.
- His body temperature compared to normal.
- Where he is – is it always happening in a certain location?
- Anything else out of the ordinary for your dog.
You may also want to take a video recording with you to show them.
Again, most of the time, you are going to find that your puppy breathing fast is due to totally normal conditions and circumstances; however, there are medical conditions that could cause your puppy to breathe more quickly than he should normally.
Medical Reasons Why My Puppy Is Breathing Fast
One thing to note is that your puppy breathing fast is a symptom, not the problem itself. Along with a faster rate of breathing, there will likely be other symptoms as well. So it is important to watch your puppy’s behavior in its totality because you having noted of all of the symptoms combined will give a much more accurate picture of the potential problem that is causing your puppy to breathe fast.
Some of the medical problems which may cause your puppy to breathe fast are:
- Anemia
- Heartworms
- Dehydration
- Infections
- Pain
- Pneumonia
- Shock
Those are a few; however, there are many more possibilities as well. Again, watch your puppy and record any symptoms.
Tell your family vet everything you’ve observed and they will be able to give you a more accurate diagnosis of your puppy’s problem and, more importantly, be able to give you a precise prescription to cure whatever is causing your little furry family member to not feel well.
All of this is not meant to alarm you: going to your vet should be thought of as a precaution to safeguard your dog’s health, and the chances are that they will simply reassure you there is nothing to worry about.
A vet would much rather a pet owner came to see them about something that turns out to be nothing than potentially miss something more serious. They care about the health of your dog, so never feel like you shouldn’t have paid them a visit.
Of course, if your rapid breathing puppy also displays other abnormal breathing problems you should get him to your vet as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts
Normally, your puppy is a happy, energetic, furry little ball of joy. One who you call a family member who is loved as much as any other member of the family, so, as is the case with any member of the family, it’s natural to be concerned when his behavior changes and is not normal.
If you observe your puppy breathing fast, it is not necessarily unhealthy or a cause for concern. It may just be that he is hot or excited or any of several other completely normal reasons for an increase in respiration.
However, as mentioned, there are several medical reasons why this physical behavior may be a symptom of something that is just not right and needs to be looked at by your vet.
Watching your puppy, understanding what his normal breathing rate should be, and recording his behavior when he looks like he might be struggling with a problem will put you in great shape to talk with your vet and get the help that your little puppy needs to get back to his playful, adorable self.
Remember: if in doubt, check it out.
Puppy Breathing Fast FAQs
Is it normal for dogs to breathe fast while sleeping?
It is completely normal for a dog's breathing rate to increase while they are asleep. The most likely reason for this is they are having an exciting dream - quite possibly about you! Just like us humans, their breathing should slow down as their sleep cycle continues, but if it doesn't it is possible your dog is too hot. Try cooling down their surroundings. If you've done this and your dog continues to breathe rapidly for extended periods, it is best to consult your vet to ensure there is not another health issue.
Why is my puppy breathing heavy?
The most likely reason for your puppy breathing heavy is that he is either excited or hot. Neither is something to be concerned about, as long as he will have a chance to cool down soon. If neither of these explanations seems likely, you will want to investigate further to find the cause. Be aware that puppies naturally have a faster breathing rate than adult dogs, especially when they are asleep.
Why is my puppy panting while resting?
Your puppy is almost certainly panting when he's resting because he's hot. Dogs can't sweat, so they pant to cool down. If he's just been exercising, this is nothing to worry about and his breathing should soon return to normal. If he is in a hot environment, get him somewhere cooler - do this urgently if the panting is very heavy. If you don't think it's due to either of these reasons, you'll need to research a little further for other causes and possibly pay a visit to the vet: especially if he does this frequently with no apparent cause.
What is normal puppy breathing?
A healthy rate of breath for a puppy is about 15-40 breaths per minute, compared to 10-30 breaths for an adult dog. Of course this may increase dramatically if your dog is excited or hot, and even around 200 pants per minute is nothing to be concerned about for short periods. Measure your puppy's breathing rate while he is resting and calm to get a baseline for your dog.
Is a puppy breathing fast normal?
It is natural for your puppy to breathe fast when he is excited or hot. They cannot sweat, so they pant in order to cool themselves down. As long as your pup's breathing rate drops back down after a little while, there is nothing to worry about. Puppies do breathe a little faster than adult dogs at around 15-40 breaths per minutes while resting.
Feature image by Joe Caione
