Yes I agree that when a dog is warm he could pant. Just sharing this story, I took Bella for a walk yesterday, our weather here is about 11 celsius. She saw another dog across the street and got excited. She didn't pant but she did her goose honking instead. Also I understand what you mean it's like something is lodged in her throat. I hate it whenever I hear her cough and wish I could help her, I had to wait for her to calm down. It just happens randomly once in a while or sometimes when she's drinking. Last year when she was at her vet check up, I mentioned the goose honking to our vet. I also did a video to show him the sound. He saw my concern and asked if I wanted to check her lungs with an xray. We said okay since we were new dog owners and concerned. The vet mentioned about Tracheal Collapse which is a common cause of airway obstruction in dogs. That it's genetic in Yorkies and small dog breeds and are most commonly affected. The vet said Bella is young now and healthy, usually it happens more serious when a dog gets older.
I checked further to learn more about Tracheal Collapse, just sharing here: In addition to a honking cough, other signs that may be seen include exercise intolerance, labored breathing and a bluish tinge to the gums. The cough and other signs may be provoked by excitement, eating, drinking, tracheal irritants (smoke or dust), obesity, exercise and hot and humid weather.
The condition, which is genetic, primarily affects toy breeds of both sexes, with Yorkies by far the most commonly affected. Collapsing trachea can manifest at any age, though the average age when clinical signs begin to appear is six to seven years.
I'm not sure if your yorkie ever coughed, in addition to his panting? Also my thoughts are that maybe he could have anxieties and lack of oxygen because he can't do as much as he use to before and maybe he needs to slow down and he doesn't realize it? He may need your guidance to keep a healthy and long life. In any case I hope this helps. Take care. |