Panting
 

Hey All - my 6 year old Yorkie has been going running and hiking with me since he was a baby. We ended up taking a 6 month break bc we were away, and now he pants a lot when we go. I thought maybe he got a little out of shape just like I did while we were gone, but one day when it was cloudy and cooler, he made it to the top no problem. Now I am thinking it's a heat related thing, but he does it when it's not really that hot, for example low 60's, sunny with a breeze. Even going around the block, he pants. Not heavy, but I don't remember seeing him do that. Does anyone thing this is a problem and if so, what could the causes be? I am hesitant to go to a vet bc he is still himself, runs around the house, fetches, lively, etc. and also with the Covid 19 pandemic, I'd rather not go in. Any advice or thoughts?

After a 6 month break I would take it slow with him, you don't say how long these walks are, you don't say if he's pad trained or house broken. Start with short 20 minutes walks for a week, then increase 10 or 15 minutes for another week, do this until you reach the amount of time you walked before the 6 month break. Dogs are like humans after being lax all winter. You have to slowly get back into the swing of things.

thanks
 

He's a 10 pound baby - great shape, muscular. He hikes Runyon Canyon with me to the top and like I said, on a cloudy day, he did it no problem at all. Add some sun, and he's panting even walking around the block. Not slowing his pace, but just his tongue is out.

We did get back to our routine slowly bc I was going slower as well. I do have it narrowed down more to heat than exercise, but not sure why because he typically can do Runyon on an 85 degree day.

He is house broken, uses potty pads and outside.

Thanks so much for the response!!

Dogs temperatures are higher then ours so when we think it’s slightly warm it is warm or even hot for them. Make sure you are offering water often. They also will pant if they are anxious or nervous.

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I always bring along water - he doesn't always drink it. Odd, he can be panting like crazy, but won't drink. I guess my concern is that he never did this before and now is doing it all the time.

Hi I've experienced this with our 2 yr old Bella when she was younger when she was outside in the summer when we were at a gathering or event, she would pant or have her tongue hanging out. She normally never had her tongue out at home. I thought she was thirsty and gave her some water and she didn't need it. But when we got home she was relaxed and didn't pant anymore. I was concerned.

One day when we were at the vet for her check up, I asked him what does it mean when she has her tongue hanging out a lot. He said when that happens it is a sign of lack of oxygen and her body temperature could be too hot or she's nervous or stressed. Or even anxious as Taylor suggests, I agree too. So whenever I see her panting (tongue out), we finish up what we're doing and take her home where she's most comfortable and she stops panting. I haven't seen her pant for a long time but am prepared when it happens. Hope this helps. Take care.

interesting
 

Thank you, that's quite interesting. It's definitely heat related and I got to test that theory the other day when it was cool and cloudy. We went for our hike and he didn't pant once, made it all the way to the top as he always did. My concern is that, he pants when it's not really that hot outside, but the sun is out. For example, just a walk around the block on a sunny breezy 69 degree day. That brings me to what you said about not getting enough oxygen. Could there be something stuck in his throat or something wrong with his lungs? I mean if he can do it in cool weather, I would think his lungs are fine. However, sometimes when we play fetch and he's running a lot back and forth I will hear a slight wheeze in his breathing.

69 is warm to dogs so it would be normal to pant. The panting is absolutely normal. If he was not getting enough oxygen his gums and tongue would be turning a blueish color.

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.

thanks
 

Thanks so much for this info ladies. When he gets excited he does this reverse sneeze thing. Has done it since he was a baby. Other than that the only cough-like thing he does is when he barks too much he will dry cough and almost gag.

He always panted when we would hike on warmer days, but my concern is that it happens so quickly on just a walk out front after just one block. If it's cloudy, he's fine.

So I guess that's why I'm getting concerned because it's not his normal and it's not that he's tired or the movement is causing it. It seem directly related to the weather. We live in California so it's warm most of the time. That's why it's noticeable to me because it just started happening. 69 degrees here is cooler than most places bc of lack of humidity, especially with a breeze. He normally would not be panting in that weather, especially after just one block.

You are using a harness right?

You really can’t compare from those things from puppy to adult because they change a lot. Panting is very normal and it sounds very normal to me but if you are concerned go to the vet.

What does he walk on... pavement, grass, etc. when he starts panting?

Tibbe didn't do well in hotter weather, seemed to get hot, start panting pretty quickly in Dallas County area of North Texas where we live. want to come right in where the A-C was running. He didn't seem to like being outside in hot, humid weather all that much. Of course, in warm weather here, the humidity is usually pretty high, too, so maybe that had a lot to do with it. He LOVED cold weather, never seemed to pant or tire after lots of activity when it was cold. If you're worried, if you haven't already done so this past 6 mos., get a vet check and blood work, stool check, let them listen to his chest, etc.

Yes we always have Bella on a harness when she walks. The breeder had explained to us the importance of using a harness. Thank you.