So I've had my little girl for 2.5 days. I know that pups have a higher rate of heart beats per minute then an adult dog, but Dakota's fast paced breathing really isn't noticeable until bedtime. At that point, she begins to breath quickly and audibly, and, when she wakes, she begins to pant. Yes, I know that panting is how dogs cool themselves off, but why does she seem so labored at bedtime and when she wakes up and not during the rest of the day???

I know I know, get her to a vet. She's supposed to get her 3rd round of puppy shots around the 20th of this month, and I'm currently looking for a good vet out here. I just wanted to see what some of you vet students thought about her "selective" panting.

Oy, 3 years working at a vet and I can't even answer my own question!

12/13/2005 8:16:32 PM

the first thing i noticed about that post was

Quote :

"I've had my little girl for 2.5 days"

12/13/2005 8:27:31 PM

why? I got her on Sunday, midday...that's about 2.5 days ago

12/13/2005 8:29:09 PM

Asked my fiance, she's a 4th year vet school student, and she says its symptomatic of congenital heart defect. Does the dog cough when sleeping? A vet should be able to hear a heart murmur in it easily if it has a defect like PDA or whatever. Might need an echocardiogram.

Also, what breed of dog is it?

[Edited on December 13, 2005 at 8:38 PM. Reason : ?]

12/13/2005 8:36:20 PM

oh gosh...

well, I think I've heard her make a coughing noise a couple times, but I was half asleep myself so I'm not really sure what I heard. Does your fiance know why Dakota would only pant before bed and just after she wakes up? Of course, she also pants after playing hard, but I just find it odd that after little to no activity, right before bed (or while she is laying down, half-asleep) that she'd start.

12/13/2005 8:38:45 PM

The things probably nervous.

12/13/2005 8:39:36 PM

she's not acting fearful, nervous, unsure of herself, or anything like that. In fact, she's comfortable in her crate, and at this moment she is snuggled on top of a comforter on my bed...

right now, she's just breathing rapidly (I've not yet counted her HR or her respirations to see if they are normal)...but a second ago, when she kinda woke up for a sec, she whined, stuck her tongue out, and panted for a few moments. boo I'm worried!

12/13/2005 8:41:31 PM

my new puppy did the same thing... went away after a couple of weeks

12/13/2005 8:45:56 PM

Its not a specific symptom its just a red flag for vets in determining heart disease versus a lung problem. Sure stress, heat, etc. can cause a dog to pant but there is little else reason for a dog to pant when sleeping and is why its a red flag for heart defect. She said the vet should probably notice the murmur right away when listening to its heart if it does in fact have a defect.

What breed is the puppy? Does the dog seem unusually calm for a puppy?

12/13/2005 8:49:17 PM

Dakota is supposedly 3 months old, give or take...

so your puppy did the same thing? Dakota has energy and doesn't seem to experience labored breathing (in fact, she gives the 2 year old mini pinscher a run for his hyperactive money)...its just this isolated thing where she pants around bedtime...

12/13/2005 8:50:35 PM

well, I was told a flat-coated retriever/husky mix...but she's got markings that remind me of a german shepherd (she's doesn't appear like she'll get too big though, maybe 40lbs?)...she DID seem calm when I first got her. She would just let me hold her and she would only start squirming to get down after being held for 5 mins (just a guesstimate). However now she is totally rambumscious (I think I spelled that wrong) and has much more energy.

Note: She was going to be put down on the day she was rescued, so I dont know how well she was taken care of up until that point. It appeared that she just needed to open up and trust me...now she's bouncy and playful...as I would expect any pup of any breed to be

12/13/2005 8:55:05 PM

If the dog is hyperactive then don't worry too much about it, its probably nothing. Most dogs with the defect are not very active, unusually calm. Just be sure to have the Vet listen to the heart attentively when you take it in for the next group of shots.

^ Danielle said the dog could just still be stressed or, given that it is part husky, just hot. Don't worry about it until you are back at the vet for the shots.

[Edited on December 13, 2005 at 8:58 PM. Reason : more]

12/13/2005 8:55:57 PM

holy shit that's a cute dog

12/13/2005 9:02:02 PM

yeah, my puppy was fine and very energetic... only began to pant heavily after he bedded down for a while; worried me at first, but went away soon enough... i wouldn't sweat it

rowdy says hey...

12/13/2005 9:02:50 PM

Quote :

"why? I got her on Sunday, midday...that's about 2.5 days ago"

because you fucking got the dog 2.5 fucking days ago

[Edited on December 13, 2005 at 9:03 PM. Reason : i mean atleast have it for a week jesus]

12/13/2005 9:03:02 PM

The fact that its a mixed breed and that it is a large breed reduces the likelihood of a heart defect even more. She said not to stress over anything and just bring it up when getting the shots. Odds are the vet won't hear a murmur and all the worrying will be for not.

12/13/2005 9:03:47 PM

ok I will...thank you, and please tell your fiance thanks also

12/13/2005 9:05:27 PM

Quote :

"because you fucking got the dog 2.5 fucking days ago"

why are you replying to an answer to someone else's question?
there's nothing to to be said about that?

[Edited on December 13, 2005 at 9:08 PM. Reason : .]

12/13/2005 9:06:16 PM

MRWILLIS...um...I GOT her 2.5 days ago...I didn't say she was 2.5 days old. SHe is 3 months old.

Thanks Joe she's my little darlin'!

McKoonts...OMG haaay Rowdy!

12/13/2005 9:08:14 PM

wow, i mean you've had it for only 2.5 days...

[Edited on December 13, 2005 at 10:13 PM. Reason : i mean good luck, i just dont think 2.5 days is enough to get all worried or make a thread even]

12/13/2005 10:13:13 PM

while we're on the topic of puppy health... i've been told i should get rowdy neutered, but i'm worried it will break his spirit... anyone have an opinion?

12/13/2005 10:15:20 PM

my dog looks very similar to your Rowdy. Beagle mix.

Before neutering he was all like "grrrrrr"



After neutering he was all like "wtf?"




But seriously, he went through it with no problem. He was a little weirded out for a week or so, but he doesn't even notice they're gone now. He's just as spirited now as he was back then. (except a little calmer due to age)

12/13/2005 10:26:45 PM

i have a miniture american eskimo that is 7 years old and always pants a lot when he is getting ready to sleep. as far as i know he has no health problems. he is a very neurotic and anxious dog, so i think that is it.

12/13/2005 10:59:09 PM

Quote :

"while we're on the topic of puppy health... i've been told i should get rowdy neutered, but i'm worried it will break his spirit... anyone have an opinion?"

Definitely get your dog neutered. Every male dog that is not neutered will develo[ some prostate problem called BPH where the prostate swells and starts blocking bowels and urinary tract. To fix it they have to neuter the pet anyways and only causes more pain and suffering for the animal than having it done as a puppy. A dog that is not neutered will also have increased aggression (not that big of a deal in your breed) and a higher tendancy to wander. Wandering is probably a big issue for your dog given that it your dog is a hound and already going to be apt for wandering. They are significantly more likely to get hit by a car or just run away. So in summary, your dog will probably have to get neutered at some point in the future anyways and it will be more stressfull, problematic, and painful. Just do it now and save any potential problems.

12/13/2005 11:29:40 PM

^^lol neurotic? I used to dogsit for a pup like yours...neurotic was an EXCELLENT word to describe her! Now that I think about it, all she did was jump up and down like an excited kangaroo and pant until she was out of slobber. She was a sweetie though.

Dakota isn't so neurotic, but as someone, I think, mentioned above, I'm hoping that if she DOES have some husky in her, then maybe its just a trait of the breed...though aside from her tail that tries to curl (sometimes), she STILL looks more gsd to me

12/14/2005 6:41:20 AM

JSnail -

You might find this article interesting, it's about recent research on dog panting and what it might mean. Also, just to add... my parents have a big chow/lab mutt who always pants at bedtime. Last night when she was watching tv, she was panting. She's 12 and is the healthiest dog ever, but she's always done it.

Check out the link:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010728/fob9.asp

12/14/2005 8:22:26 AM

thanks for the article! Hehe laughing? That's a neat concept!

omg lab/chow...awwww does she have the purple tongue?

[Edited on December 14, 2005 at 8:26 AM. Reason : ]

12/14/2005 8:25:02 AM

it's spotted purple. She's the sweetest and most well behaved dog ever. Lab mixes are the best!
btw - my daschador is under my feet panting

12/14/2005 8:26:14 AM

awww those pups were the best...well, now Dakota is the best, lol, I don't want her to get jealous...but man if I don't miss those little guys (I guess they aren't so little anymore, looking at DirtyGreek's little guys!)

Supposedly Dakota has some lab in her also...that makes me pretty happy b/c labs really are spectacular dogs!

12/14/2005 8:29:51 AM

my dog would eat your dog.

might be something as simple as seperation anxiety because you are crating it and going to bed. i mean, your place is still very new to the dog.

12/14/2005 9:17:21 AM

well, she almost prefers her crate to my bed...she can still see me from her crate when she's inside...and also, she'll pant wherever she is, be it bedtime or naptime, in her crate, on the floor, or on my bed.

12/14/2005 9:30:32 AM

in response to ^^^^^^^^ and the topic of neutering, it's interesting to note that testicular cancer is fairly common in older unneutered male dogs, and hyperplasia of the sertoli cells can actually cause feminization. i just learned that and i thought it was interesting, since some people don't neuter their male dogs because they don't want to take away the dog's maleness.... so i say neuter.

link to the article: http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=94469

12/14/2005 6:39:19 PM