It’s no secret that dogs love to play. They run around everywhere even in tight spaces. Dog lovers even call it ‘zooming’ because they ‘zoom around’ at a fast pace.
If you have a hyperactive dog, you might notice them panting after all that running. Usually, they just have to drink some water and they’ll be okay. But what if they don’t stop panting and even develop diarrhea? In this case, you may have a bigger problem on hand.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the relationship between panting and diarrhea.
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Why is my dog panting all of a sudden?
As stated in the above paragraph, panting is normal for the dog. Unlike humans, they don’t have sweat glands that will allow them to release heat. That’s why dogs pant after doing some exercise, running around, or playing with other dogs. They also do it when the weather is hot.
Sometimes, dogs also pant with their tongue out, which helps them cool down faster. This is because their tongue has a lot of blood vessels. When the blood moves to their tongue, the saliva will evaporate, helping the dogs cool themselves down.
Panting is a normal activity for dogs when they are trying to cool their body down or when they’re trying to calm themselves down.
How much panting is too much for a dog?
The normal breaths per minute for dogs is 30 to 40 breaths per minute. It can reach up to ten times its number, which is 300 to 400 breaths per minute. If you notice your dog suddenly panting very fast, you typically don’t have anything to worry about.
In addition to this, panting duration is dependent on their sizes, though the average is about 10 minutes. Smaller dogs don’t pant as much since their smaller bodies are easier to cool.
Overweight dogs will also pant more often than healthy dogs. Other breeds like Boston terrier, pugs, and bulldogs can pant more than other dog breeds because of their shorter snout.
The thing that you have to worry about is the duration that your dog is panting. If your dog has been panting for more than 10 minutes, your dog might be overheating or have an underlying condition that needs attention.
When should I worry about my dog’s panting?
The time that you have to be concerned about is when they are panting too hard for too long, as it could point to a health issue.
The most common reason for the heavy panting of dogs is fever. If you think this is the case, you have to consult your veterinarian to know the exact cause of the fever. The dog might have an unknown injury or they may be in pain. Since dogs can’t tell us directly if they’re in pain, it’s up to us to check if there’s anything physically wrong with them.
A failing heart can also cause your dog to heavily pant. It is accompanied by less exercise tolerance of the dog since they can get tired easily. The dog can also have coughs all of a sudden since they have a hard time breathing.
Lastly, heatstroke is another potential issue, especially if it’s accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting. This is especially true if you live in a hot climate.
When should I worry about my dog’s diarrhea?
All pet owners will worry when they see a different form of stool. They will suspect that something is wrong and think that their dog might have diarrhea.
The most common cause of diarrhea is parasites, which can irritate the intestinal tract of your dog causing diarrhea. Viral infection is also a cause of diarrhea which is common to smaller and younger dogs since they don’t have enough vaccine to protect them from viruses.
Diet is also a possible reason for a dog’s diarrhea. Your dog might eat something that can upset their stomach so you better research before feeding something new to your dog.
When your dog is having diarrhea you have to watch the stool quality over time. When they have a softer stool than usual it is nothing to worry about. The thing that you have to worry about is when they have liquid diarrhea. This can cause the dog to be dehydrated and must be taken to the vet immediately.
Additionally, if your dog has diarrhea and has been heavily panting, you should also be worried. A dog panting with diarrhea is a sign of heatstroke.
How long should my dog have diarrhea before going to the vet?
If your dog has diarrhea and is panting heavily, in addition to other symptoms like vomiting and drooling, you should consider bringing them to the vet immediately since they may be having a heatstroke.
If diarrhea is the only symptom present, you can afford to wait for a while. One day is a normal duration for diarrhea you just have to monitor the fluids that the dog that taking to avoid dehydration.
When diarrhea lasts for two days you have to take your dog to the vet. Again you have to watch the fluid intake of your dog so that your dog won’t suffer dehydration.
When it lasts longer than a day you have to check any symptoms that are accompanied by diarrhea. This might be a sign of an underlying condition that causes diarrhea.
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