Why Does A Dog Take So Long To Recover From Panting After Exercise

Have you ever noticed some difference in your dog’s panting after work out? Does it feel right to you? Is your dog panting more than usual? Well, we have all the answers to these questions. Dog panting is normal after running, jumping, and doing exercises. Just like human beings, they also get tired, which they express by panting. But sometimes it can be a lot more than just a dog pant. 

Why does my dog pant a lot after work out? Being a dog lover, you must observe and take special care of your dog if you see that he is not recovering fast from panting. This may trigger a lot of questions in your mind regarding your dog’s health. There are some particular reasons behind, and it cannot be neglected. To ensure the right judgment for your dog’s health, you must know when it is a big reason to worry if he is not recovering fast. 

It is essential to understand when a dog’s breathing is normal, possible reasons behind it, and the right treatment. In this article, we have researched all the possible reasons, cause, and treatment which will help you to get a clear understanding.  

Let us dig out all!

Can we consider heavy dog breathing normal?

Dog breathing can be considered normal if you do not see anything abnormal in it. Heavy panting among dogs is a natural phenomenon as they have immense strength.

According to researches, the average rate of breathing in dogs is mostly within 30 to 40 breaths per minute. A dog while panting can take up to 300 to 400 breaths per minute, which is ten times more than normal. Such situations can be considered alarming.

Extra energy, weight, and intense exercise create panting. As a dog owner, you should be taking some preventive measures to keep him calm.

When can you consider dog panting serious?

If you see your dog panting seriously and keep on panting abnormally, or shivering, it could be the first sign of something that isn’t right. In some special cases, you will see that your dog is making unusual sounds while panting, and he is not feeling himself. Seeing your dog struggling so much to calm himself, you can reach out to your veterinarian or the nearest emergency services for pet animals. 

• It is often seen that overweight dogs tend to pant a lot than normal dogs with average weight. When these dogs involve themselves with heavy activity, they exhibit a lot of heat from their body, which results in panting. In such cases keeping the dog cool, quick exercise, and a balanced diet will help him to reduce his body weight and normalize his panting.

• Another commonly seen reason is Laryngeal paralysis among dogs, which can result in extreme panting. In such cases, dogs are not able to open and close his larynx at the same time while breathing. This may cause loud sound, and you may even witness some coughing along with panting. 

Possible causes of Dog panting post workout

We have highlighted when and how you should consider dog panting serious. But still, there are some more valid points to check out. 

Anxiety or fear

Just like humans, your dog can also face these emotions, and just like a sudden outbreak, they can react through panting. Yawning, blinking eyes several times, and pacing are all the possible signs of stress. Your dog may get stressed from car honking, car rides, etc. A thunderstorm can cause fear or anxiety in your dog. You will notice a sudden change in his behavior, which will help you to understand his distress.

Heatstroke

This becomes a very critical situation for you, which generally happens when your dog’s temperature rises to an alarming level. You will notice a sudden change in heart rate and huge panting along with loud noise. Take your dog to a veterinarian immediately without a second thought.

Anemia

Another worrying cause can be Anemia, which generally happens when there is a shortage of red blood cells. Red blood cells are the carrier of oxygen and distribute to all parts of the body. So if there is a shortage of red blood cells, chances are to have a lack of oxygen in the body which your dog may try to regain during heavy panting. 

Poisoning

This is considered as one of the most common reasons for panting. Your dog may have been poisoned, or he may be suffering from any allergic reaction, which is resulting in heavy panting. Dogs often inhale germs while sniffing, or they tend to taste things by licking, which have resulted in poisoning. You should get a quick check-up for this from your vet so that they can give proper medication. 

Heart failure while working out. 

Heart failures can cause a sudden emergency and cannot be neglected under any circumstances. Just like us, a dog’s heart pumps blood along with oxygen to all parts of the body. When the heart loses the capability of doing so, your dog will show signs of weakness, coughing, along with panting. The rate of breathing also rises at an alarming rate. 

Treatments

You have already received a clear picture of the most common causes of panting. Now, we should be focused on the remedies required to resolve so that you can keep your dog comfortable at these situations.

They are as follows:

Hydration 

If you are taking your dog for a long walk or his exercise routine, make sure you are carrying enough water with you to quench his thirst. You should often stop him for water breaks and give him enough water so that he remains hydrated. Allow him some time to rest after a long walk or heavy exercise so that he doesn’t start panting abnormally.

Also, make sure you are allowing him to have a large portion of water in one go as this may lead to stomach upset, and he may find difficulty performing the exercise. 

There are water bottles available for dogs, and those bottles have a special type of caps that will discharge only a certain quantity required for dogs on each gulp. In this way, you can also measure how much water intake for your dog is doing each day and also measure it. 

Calm your dog after a long exercise

You will usually notice that your dog often pants right after workout. Just like us, our dog needs to calm down after such heavy work out sessions. You can give him a gentle muscle rub or help him to stretch his body so that he can relax. You can give him a cold towel wrap around his body to calm him down. If the panting continues, you might consider calling a vet.

Say no exercise after a meal.

You should not involve your dog in any physical activities like playing, jumping, or exercise just after a meal, which may lead to stomach upset or vomiting. Your dog will be hungry again right after the exercise, so it is advisable to let your dog rest enough, get rehydrated, and then have her meal.

As a dog owner, you must have all the health-related details which will benefit you to act quickly on any situation till the time your vet arrives. Having regular check-ups will also help you to avoid such situations as your vet will be able to do any prediction if he is showing any signs related to his health. We hope your dog rises and shines each day!