• Pain
• Heart Condition
• Pneumonia and other respiratory infections
• Asthma
• Heat stroke

Dogs are pretty good at hiding pain; they’re masters at it, quite often. While us humans typically make it obvious when something’s hurting, dogs can be much more stoic, merely getting on with life as best they can and tolerating pain and discomfort.

There are subtle signs though — and one of these is a dog breathing fast, as well as sleeping more (or less, pain can make a dog uncomfortable) and flinching when stroked.

Sadly, a dog breathing fast may be an indicator of a heart condition, which is a serious issue. Fast and abnormal breathing is listed as a symptom of a heart attack in dogs. If your dog’s heart isn’t able to pump enough blood to his organs, including his lungs, less oxygen will make it to his organs, which will lead to faster, more superficial breathing. Breathing fast is a symptom of pneumonia and other, similar, respiratory infections. A dog might be unable to get sufficient oxygen to where it’s needed in his body, so breathing is faster in an attempt to inhale more oxygen and improve the flow.If your dog suffers from asthma, irritants can lead to wheezing and coughing — and your dog is likely to breathe with their mouth open. In a severe asthma attack, a dog’s airways will become swollen and constricted — leading to a lack of oxygen and resulting in your dog breathing heavily. Asthma may even cause your dog to gasp and breathe rapidly in an effort to obtain air.

We already know that dogs can breathe heavily and even start panting if they’re hot — it’s their way of cooling down. But heatstroke is something completely different and far more serious; the condition is also known as heat exhaustion.

If your dog has heatstroke, he or she will probably be doing more than breathing heavily — they could be excessively panting and showing other worrying symptoms, including foaming at the mouth, vomiting, diarrhea and having seizures.

Heatstroke needs urgent treatment. Cool your dog off by applying a wet towel with cool (not cold) water to his body. Once his body temperature has decreased, it’s a good idea to bring him to the veterinarian to confirm he is recovering.

If you have a puppy, you might be wondering, ‘why is my puppy breathing so fast?’ or ‘is it normal for puppies to breathe fast?’ The answer is — yes, it can be normal, though you should always monitor the situation and if anything appears concerning, contact your vet.

Puppies tend to have a faster breathing rate compared to adult dogs. They have a higher metabolic rate, smaller lungs, and tend to exercise more frequently, and with more intensity, than adult dogs. Puppies don’t keep still, so when they rest, they may breathe faster and more heavily as their bodies recover.

As puppies grow, their breathing rate naturally slows too. Lungs develop in size and increase capacity, so less oxygen is needed: an 8 week old puppy breathing fast while sleeping is more common than a puppy several weeks older.

It’s well known that there are specific types of dogs that experience breathing difficulties. Dogs classed as ‘Brachycephalic breeds’ have a condition called Brachycephalic Syndrome. This affects dog breeds with squashed, flat faces — think of the Pug, the Bulldog, the Boxer and similar.

Breeds with Brachycephalic Syndrome have deformities in the upper airway, which cause breathing difficulties. These dogs have a lower tolerance to heat, can struggle after exercise, and can demonstrate labored, heavy breathing. Helping your dog to maintain a healthy weight is one way of improving quality of life with this condition.