Why Is My Dog Breathing Fast?

What to do right now

Move your dog somewhere cool, quiet, and shaded, and let them lie in whatever position is comfortable. Do not force them to lie flat. Look at their gums: healthy gums are pink, while pale, gray, blue, or purple gums mean get to an emergency vet now.

If heat may be the cause, wet your dog with cool, not ice-cold, water and point a fan at them, then drive to the vet with the air conditioning on. Do not give any medicine. A dog in breathing distress can panic and bite, so keep your hands away from the mouth.

Signs that mean go now

Treat fast breathing as an emergency if it comes with visible effort, such as the belly pumping or the elbows held out wide, or with noisy breathing, gasping, or coughing up pink froth. Collapse, weakness, a swollen belly with retching, or a known injury or fall also mean go straight in.

Panting that does not slow after 30 minutes of rest in a cool place is another warning sign. So is fast breathing alongside vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, or restlessness. If your dog may have eaten something toxic, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661; a fee may apply.

How to count your dog's breathing rate

Count when your dog is fully relaxed or asleep, not after activity. Watch the chest: one rise and fall is one breath. Count for 30 seconds and double it. A healthy dog at rest usually breathes about 15 to 30 times a minute, and some breathe more slowly than that.

A resting rate that stays above about 30 breaths a minute is abnormal, and a rate of 40 to 60 is a concern. If the rate stays raised when you recheck over the next hour or two, call your vet that day. Your vet may give you a different target for your own dog.

Common reasons a dog breathes fast

Harmless reasons include exercise, excitement, warm weather, and dreaming, when brief bursts of quick breathing and twitching are normal. Fear and anxiety also raise the rate, for example during fireworks, storms, or car rides. These settle once the trigger passes and your dog calms down.

Medical reasons include heat stroke, pain from an injury or arthritis, fever, heart failure, lung problems such as pneumonia, anemia, and hormonal conditions such as Cushing's disease, which often causes heavy panting in older dogs. Flat-faced breeds such as Bulldogs and Pugs struggle to cool themselves and overheat more easily.

Heat stroke: a special warning

Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, so on hot or humid days they can overheat quickly, especially in a parked car, after exercise, or if they are overweight or flat-faced. Signs include heavy panting, thick drool, bright red gums, wobbliness, vomiting, and collapse. A temperature of 104.5°F or higher is dangerous.

Cool the dog with cool water and moving air on the way to the vet, not ice, which can make blood vessels in the skin tighten and slow cooling. Even a dog who seems to recover should be checked, because heat stroke can damage organs in ways that show up hours later.

What the vet will check

Your vet will listen to the heart and lungs, check gum color and temperature, and may give oxygen first if your dog is struggling. Chest X-rays, blood tests, and sometimes a heart scan help find the cause. Treatment depends on what they find.

If your dog has a heart condition, your vet may ask you to count the resting rate at home every day and call if it rises. Keeping a simple log of the rate for a week, while your dog is healthy, gives you a useful baseline to compare against.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.