# Excessive panting=healthy issue?



## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Oops, meant to type "health" above. lol.

I plan to bring this up with my vet when I take Lily for her annual exam next month and thought it would helpful to first seek input from the many learned minds on this wonderful forum.

I may well be making something out of nothing. Tend to over worry about her since I love her to bits.

Lily was two in January and has no known (diagnosed) health issues, but for over a year now I have noticed that she seems to pant a lot more than other dogs I have had in the past (never had a maltese before, though) and more than other dogs that are around her in the same environment when she is panting.

Last spring and summer I just presumed it was because of her extra fur and somewhat small size, so if I would put a cooling vest on her she would cope with the mild heat as well as other dogs when we were in obedience classes, etc. 

Now I find myself wondering if it is something more. 

She pants when stressed (as have my other dogs) and I don't see this as out of the norm. But in other situations when it is slightly warm she is panting like crazy. When I was home at lunch today it was 65 degrees F and she was out calmly browsing around the yard for 10 minutes tops and panting like crazy. Typical for her.

Perhaps my vet will quickly know if this is or is not a problem, and if it is a problem what to test, etc. But thought I'd post in case anyone has words of advise as to what I should ask my vet, etc.

On a side note, so great to finally have wonderful spring weather here in northeastern Pennsylvania. 

Linda


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Maddie pants also, I'm sure it's Maddie's coat, she doesn't pant all the time but does do it much more then Matilda


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

Linda, first of all, I think it is great that you have zeroed in on when you observe Lily panting. This should help your vet a lot.

That is one of the questions I asked Snowball's cardiologist ... "When should I worry about panting?"

For Snowball, we should have him checked out if he is panting (especially in a resting position) for too long ... like when he is trying to sleep ... because that is not normal for him. (We do have air-conditioning, so he wouldn't be panting from the room being too warm) Your vet might advise differently ... however, for Snowball I trust his doctor's advice and instructions. 

I had also been concerned how many breathes (a minute) are considered okay and not considered more of an emergency for Snowball, and especially when he is resting. His cardiologist said up to 38 breathes per minute is fine. He rarely breathes rapidly ... so, when he does, I need to know when he might need immediate medical attention. 

Snowball usually does not pant a lot after walking ... only if it is very hot, but, then we don't walk him. Of course, it is normal to pant if they are playing or outside in hot weather ... but, I think only your vet can advise you, to what extent, is normal for Lily. I hope that makes sense. 

As for Lily's extra hair ... I've read or heard several times that extra fur/hair on dogs help them cool down better during the hot weather. But, not sure. 

Please let us know what your vet says. It sounds as though you are already making notes to ask the right questions. You are a great Mommy! Hugs for your sweet and adorable Lily.:wub:


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I hope your vet can pinpoint the cause, but a couple of thoughts. With the extra hair, down she have mats deep down against the skin that are pulling her skin and causing pain? The other thing is how is her weight? With extra hair, it's sometimes easy to miss when they are overweight. You should be able to easily feel ribs when you run your hands over her sides. You should be able to tell where each rib is, but they should feel like there is a thin layer of fat over the ribs - they shouldn't feel bony.


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Matilda's Mommy, Maagieh and Snowball Pie's Mommi, thank you for your input. It may be a weight issue. We do a lot of training and the food rewards add up calorically. When last at the vet office in October I asked for input on her weight, and she felt her ribs and said she could stand to lose one third to one half pound. Seems to be the same weight now but could have gained more. Weighed exactly nine pounds then. Does not have a defined waist when looking at her from above, but does in silhouette.

Will see. Crossing my fingers that it is not cardiac related.


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Maggieh, good point but definitely not mats. She gets tangles like crazy and I am fanatical about keeping up with it. I always check close to the skin with the fine tooth madan metal comb and make sure not missing any. :blush:. Whether it could be pain from something else though, don't know. But is heat and exercise triggered, so hopefully a pain cause doesn't fit.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

LovelyLily said:


> Matilda's Mommy, Maagieh and Snowball Pie's Mommi, thank you for your input. It may be a weight issue. We do a lot of training and the food rewards add up calorically. When last at the vet office in October I asked for input on her weight, and she felt her ribs and said she could stand to lose one third to one half pound. Seems to be the same weight now but could have gained more. Weighed exactly nine pounds then. Does not have a defined waist when looking at her from above, but does in silhouette.
> 
> Will see. Crossing my fingers that it is not cardiac related.


That could be 5 to 10% above ideal weight, which for a little one is quite a bit. Hopefully it's something as simply as that.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

It could be her weight
Maddie is slender, when she is laying on my lap she pants, but in her bed she doesn't. I'm thinking she is most likely hot.
Please update us


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## Pooh's mommy (Aug 31, 2014)

Linda, I hope that it is something as simple as the warming of the weather or her weight.

I like to let Pooh's hair grow in the winter but, just as soon as it starts to warm up I can always tell. She gets hot very easily. She will start to lay on the cool floor instead of her bed and I know that it is time for a summer cut.

You have gotten some good advice on things to look for. It is true that stress and pain will also cause panting. Pooh pants when her back is bothering her or if she gets overly stressed.
So, it is not always easy to tell if it is the heat.

Best of luck in finding out the cause. I hope that it is something simple


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Thank you so much for the helpful advise and input. 

I am now motivated to get the extra weight off of her. Will get that addressed and hopefully by the time I see the vet that will no longer be an issue. 

Started this morning with a bit less breakfast food and skipped the morning training treats. With the break in routine I could tell she was thinking--"Um, aren't you forgetting something?"  She kept going to the refrigerator, trying to prompt me to get her boiled chicken treats. lol.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

LovelyLily said:


> Thank you so much for the helpful advise and input.
> 
> I am now motivated to get the extra weight off of her. Will get that addressed and hopefully by the time I see the vet that will no longer be an issue.
> 
> Started this morning with a bit less breakfast food and skipped the morning training treats. With the break in routine I could tell she was thinking--"Um, aren't you forgetting something?"  She kept going to the refrigerator, trying to prompt me to get her boiled chicken treats. lol.


I am so happy that Snowball's favorite treat is snap peas ... and, that they agree with him. I don't think we could find a lower calorie treat for him.

So, I am thinking that maybe you can offer Lily veggies or fruits as treats? 

Snowball eats all kinds of fruit. (NOT grapes, which are very toxic for dogs) He loves cantaloupe, blueberries, honeydew, strawberries, kiwi, mango. sweet apples, dates, and, sometimes banana ... just to name a few. He always has fresh fruit with his breakfast.


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Lily likes green beans and apples. Not a fan of bananas or blueberries, basically takes them like she is interested and spits them out. Loves loves boiled chicken strips, which I frequently use as a high value training reward in her rally obedience classes and in training sessions -- but adds on the calories. Have experimented with various high quality treats and are fans of stella and chewys treats and those little star like pumpkin coconut treats of one calorie by maker whose name escapes me right now.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Maddie loves fruits and green beans and snap peas, Matilda likes carrots, but has never been a fan of fruits or veggies. It's much harder for me to get the weight off of Matilda, she loves chicken, I think in the past I have given her to much chicken, or maybe I should say my hubby gives her more chicken.
I hope you find just the perfect treats that help in her weight your a good mommy


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Sometimes pups with a short stop (like my Lisi) pant more. She does seem to warm up very quickly & I am always watching that she isn't too hot now.


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Paula, thank you. Mine is only a fan of certain veggies, too. But at least eats some. 

Sandi, never thought of the short stop being an issue. Lily has a short stop, and all of my past dogs (other breeds) had pronounced noses. So maybe it could be that.

But will continue to work on getting her thin and fit, and see if that helps.  Will be definitely good for her, panting or no panting.

I remember reading on this forum a while back that some put their dogs on a short term diet (week or less) of half of their diet consisting of fresh green beans. I plan on doing that for some of her meals, giving her occasional meals of only half a stella and chewy dehydrated patty instead of a whole one and adding in the green beans to keep her feeling fuller. 

Linda


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

Max has a short stop too, and he is the only one of mine that pants.
Not excessively, but more than the others.
I never thought of that as being a reason why! 

Another good food that is filling is pumpkin. (Not the pie mix, just the plain).
If Lily likes it, you could add a little bit to her meals.


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Good idea, Kathleen. Thanks!


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