Why is Muffin panting? Should I be worried?
 

Hi all,

Got a question about panting. Muffin was panting sometimes when there was no heat and no exercise and simply no reason whatsoever to pant. Then she became the victim of vacinosis and is now on a tiny tiny amount of dex a something. It is a coritzone like derivative I think. Quarter of a pill, the size of a 3 mm bead, very tiny, temporary maintenance dose. Anyway, my doctor says the dex could cause panting, but she was doing this off and on before she even got vacinosis. I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not. Everything is very calm and quiet here. No children - only two older adults. Her gums are pink. She has free access to water. She sleeps sometimes during the day. Otherwise soft music. What the darn could it be? Do dogs just pant for nothing? She hasn't been really honking or anything that would suggest a collapsed trachea. She is being followed regularly be a holistic Vet, so she gets checked every week, and there was no indication of heart problems. Any thoughts on this ? :confused:

My pom panted all the time and the vet said she had an excitable personality. A couple of my yorkies have panted once in a great while for no apparent reason. Sorry I don't have any ideas for you.

Hmmm...well, what is the indication, again, for the "maintenance" program of the dex? Not sure I understand its role as maintenance here, can you refresh our memories again :p...?

I mean, theoretically....if she is getting more cortisol than her body needs here at times...her symptoms could sort of be mimicing a Cushingoid dog, who has the symptoms of excess cortisol in their system....just something to consider.

Hi Ann,

Thanks for writing. And by the way, congrats on Wylie being cover boy of the year for the calendar. He is so totally adorable, he is just scrumptious. Who could resist him? I can't think of a better choice. He is a little angel.

As for the dex, she is only on it temporarily until we are sure she is cleared of the vacinosis and the homeopathics have had a chance to really take hold and
she doesn't backslide. Then we will phase it out completely. I really don't see how she could be getting a smaller dose. The size of the pill is so miniscule, that if I cut in in half again, it would turn to powder. It is a teeny tiny little pill that has been cut into quarters. And also, she was doing the panting thing way before we put her on the dex, so I don't even think it is the dex. I'm mystified. I'm looking up the full name of the med she is on.
:-)

Dexamethasone is the name of the med she is on temporarily. Hope she gets off of it soon, but I don't want her to have a set back either. She is doing wonderfully on the homeopathics and the Dex. I hope the homeopathics are kicking in full time so she can be off the the Dex forever, (Hopefully :-) ):)

Hi Patti,

Thanks for your input. Little Muffin does not have an excitable personality. She's a little devil, but not what I would call excitable.

Wow, your little one looks so much like Wylie (below), doesn't she? It's amazing. Maybe distant relatives. :-)

Anyway, thanks for your comment. This morning there is no panting. Can't understand it.

I meant below your post, not mine (LOL)

I wish I could help more.
I'll bump this up for you though.

Is she licking while she pants?

No, she doesn't lick while she pants. She just pants, mouth open, tongue extended. Upsetting.

My yorkie too!
 

Hi, my yorkie was doing the panting thing too when she was just sitting on my bed, but I also noticed when I took her for walks she would pant excessively and took a long time to stop panting after walks. Anyway, took her to vet and it turned out to be high blood pressure. Now she takes 1/2 pill 2x daily and no more panting. I also live in a calm environment, just me, no kids or husband. Hope this helps. Lisa

I agree this dog should go to the vet...could be a heart problem.

Just to be clear everyone, as I've stated above:

My little Muffin does see the Vet at least once a week, and sometimes twice a week. My Vet is wonderful, saved her life. She is a DVM and a holistic practitioner. She has said her heart is good, so no problem there I think. I'm just so puzzled. She is very overweight from the medicine she is taking at this time, (hope to have her off of it soon), and she was a little plump to begin with before she became ill. Do you think it could be her weight?:confused:

Yes, it could be her weight, which can lead to high blood pressure...do you know if the vet has checked her blood pressure? They check it on a dog the same way they check it on you...the very same machine, just a smaller cuff. Does she get enough excercise?....my sophie has high blood pressure even though I take her for regular walks and she isn't even over weight. My vet said her heart check out fine too.

Thanks for the info. I'll ask my Vet to take her blood pressure.
Thanks again for the suggestion. :-)

Prince panted a lot right before he was diagnosed with CT. I pray it's not that, nor anything else that is serious.

Hi all,

I had Muffin checked at the ER clinic last night because she wouldn't stop panting and I was worried sick. Her BP is normal. Thank God! They think it's the steroids and her weight. Although she was panting before the steroids - she had started to get a little plump at that time, as I remember. Nothing like she is now, but getting plumper at the time. Could it be the weight?

What is CT?

OH GOSH, another thing to worry about?

Hmm, I have no idea what CT is either, wonder if there is a list of abreviations on this website? anyway, could it just be that she is hot from the extra wieght gain? I'm mean if your running the heater and with the weight gain...I know overweight people who sweat just from walking around. Keep us posted on your babies progress, can she be cut down on her steroid dose?:confused:

Hi Yorkie4luv,
Thanks for the suggestion-I'm relieved she does not have HBP but now worrying about CT whatever that is. Can someone clarify as to what this is?

Oh and yes, we are decreasing the dosage. We just cut the dose in half and she gets one dose a day. I don't think you can stop this medication abruptly, you have to slowly get her off of it. I think I have about a months worth of pills. My Vet gave me 10 pills and told me to cut them is quarters and to give her one a day. These are new pills, I never even finished the first bottle because my Vet wanted to cut the dose in half and you couldn't do it with those pills as they were too small after quartering them, so she gave me new tablets that started out bigger in size but were one half the dose of the first meds, and she told me to quarter them too. So I did. Started out with 10 pills at half the dose of the originals and quartered them, so I had forty quarter pills to start with. Now I must have about 36.
I'm not sure if she'll make me finish the whole bottle before I can stop, but I think I will ask her. Thanks for your concern. :-) PS She hasn't started panting too much today. I've begun to notice I think it is more towards the nite time. :-)

when i have to give my dogs medications, before I go to the vets office I print out Walmarts $4 prescription list and I bring it with me to the vets, if she is going to give any medications I hand her the list and ask if she can choose a medication on the list and write me a prescription. Then i can get it at walmart for $4 or $10 whichever the case may be. The vets here in California charge outrageous prices for buying the medications from them. Sometimes I do have to buy the meds from the vet office if the medication is strickly for animals, but suprisingly alot of meds they take are the same as ours, but they change the name. Good luck! lisa