Is your dog panting at night because it’s too hot in the house? What if it is not and the dog continues to pant? That’s a situation that makes all the dog owners think that is why my dog is panting at night. If you are one of them, you are at the right place!
Even if your dog is panting because it’s too hot, you should take it to the vet because you never know, it can be a serious health condition as well. Your dog might be suffering from stress, anxiety, or any other neurological disorder.
In most cases, the anxiety is caused by leaving the dog alone at night because not being with you stresses them out. Usually, adult dogs are less prone to this condition because they have been through multiple phases of life, and have strong personalities. However, puppies are still growing and they need quite a time to get that much stronger, which is why pups are more at risk of this condition.
How to know that your dog is panting:
If you want to know the reasons behind the dog’s panting at night, you must know how to identify it first. For that, you should have enough knowledge about the normal and rapid breathing of the dog. Have you any information about it? If not, don’t worry, we’ve got your back!
If the dog is breathing about 10 to 40 times every minute, that is a normal breathing rate. However, if the breathing is any faster than 40 breaths per minute, the behavior is abnormal and you should consult the vet as soon as possible.
It could be any diseases, overheating, discomfort, or anxiety that is causing the dog to breathe rapidly. Reaching the vet at the right time can save your dog from worsening its health condition anymore. If you are still unsure about if your dog is panting or breathing normally, you can consult a family doctor or confirm it by the vet.
How is panting at night different from panting at day?
Panting at day is not that much of a concern because it can be caused by various factors most common of which is overheating. But when a dog pants at night, it is alarming and can be an indication of something very serious.
Not only panting is an underlying cause of any serious condition, but it disturbs your little companion’s sleep which is never good for its health. Have you ever wondered what these underlying causes could be? Let’s have a look!
Stress
Among all the underlying causes we are about to discuss here, the most common one is stress and anxiety. Let’s see how! Anything unusual happening around the dog can trigger anxiety in its behavior and the little dog will be unable to sleep making the condition worse.
The thing which doesn’t make you stressed doesn’t need to be easy on your pup as well. You never know what bothers your dog; let it be noise or gathering, new people or home. Always be considerate with your little companion, and do whatever it takes to make it feel good.
The disruptive behavior can also be caused if you have left your dog alone, and it doesn’t like the fact that you are not around it. Well, the dog is suffering from separation anxiety which is indicated by its restlessness and panting. Don’t let your dog sleep on its own until it gets over with the younger stage, and is ready to face such challenges. Also, you can use the right training techniques to make your dog sleep on its own.
Besides separation anxiety, there are some other reasons which can trigger stress and anxiety in the dog. Have a look!
New Owner
Most people adopt dogs from a former pet parent, rescue, or shelter. There is no doubt that you are giving a new home with a comfy environment to your dog, but the dog might feel a little bit odd. Just like humans, some dogs take a little time to get used to a new environment and pet owner.
Seeing a whole new person around it most of the time makes the dog stressed and anxious. A completely different lifestyle takes a few days for the dog to adjust, but eventually, it gets used to it, so you don’t have to worry that much. Just try to make the dog as comfortable as you can.
Disturbed Home Environment:
Dogs are like family members to a pet owner so any stressful thing happening in the house could affect your dog’s mental health. If a home has a lot of people who abuse each other or live in an unhappy environment, this can bring anxiety in the dog’s behavior which leads to panting at night.
The best solution to this situation is not to yell around the dog and keep a peaceful environment when you are near the pet.
Changes in Environment:
When it comes to change, it is always stressful for both humans and pets. Any change around the dog, whether it is the home or other surroundings can cause stress. Humans can handle stress because they have a choice but dogs don’t have any most of the time.
So, when a dog is having something changed in its life, that’s probably the opposite of what it wants. Without any warnings or understanding, the environmental changes can cause anxiety to the dog leading towards restlessness and panting.
In gatherings:
If your dog has just returned from a party or gathering where it was surrounded by a lot of people, it can pant at night. The painting shows the overstimulation and stress that is the result of the loud and crowded place. You need to calm down the dog and make sure it feels better at home.
Besides stress and anxiety, there can be some other reasons as well which could be the underlying cause of dogs panting at night. We are going to have a quick overview of some of them.
Allergies
Dogs can be allergic to various substances, let it be something in the food or air. We have to diagnose the condition for sure, but for that, we should be well aware of the signs. If your dog is panting at night, that is probably due to an allergic reaction.
Get your dog checked by the vet immediately in this situation also, observe or recall what you have given to your dog that day. It can be anything near the place the dog is sleeping to which the dog is allergic or some dietary changes you might have made in its eating plan.
Injury or pain:
Dogs can suffer from various injuries or pain-causing illnesses, any of which could be the reason for the dog panting at night. Always check your dog if it is injured or is feeling discomfort, it could be a sign of some serious diseases like arthritis.
Canine Cognitive Disorder (dog dementia):
The canine cognitive disorder is quite common among dogs. The condition comes with a disturbed sleep-wake cycle, which means the dog is more likely to roam around the house instead of sleeping peacefully.
This disrupted sleep can cause restlessness in the dog’s behavior as a result of which the dog starts panting at night. The dogs which suffer from dog dementia also fail to recognize the place where they are which makes them even more stressed leading towards panting.
Treatment of dogs panting at night:
If you observe that your dog is panting at night, to make it stop, you should look for all the above-mentioned causes. If you manage to diagnose the right cause, it will be much easier and time-saving for you and the vet to treat the condition.
Other than that, if you want to know what possible things you can do to stop your dog from panting at night and being restless, have a look!
Treatment for overheating:
If you have identified that the dog is panting at night due to overheating, you should adopt the following strategies to get over with the condition:
- Use a hose to make the dog wet or just try to cool down the dog by splashing some water.
- If the dog sleeps inside the house, make sure it is sleeping at a place where there is proper ventilation. If not, then shift the dog to an air-conditioned room.
- Make the dog drink some water.
- If any of these don’t work, it is better to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Treatment for stress:
As discussed, after overheating, stress and anxiety cause panting in the dog. Follow the below-mentioned interventions to deal with the dog’s anxiety and stress.
- You can spend some quality time with your dog to make it feel loved.
- If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety or some serious mental health issues, try consulting a professional trainer or behaviorist to deal with the condition.
- Deal with the cause of the stress and anxiety, for example, if too much noise is bothering the dog, lower down the noise and offer a peaceful environment to the dog.
- Use supplements like CBD oil.
Consider Supplements:
If your dog is panting at night due to anxiety, you should give it some supplements to recover from the condition. Among the wide range of supplements, CBD Oil is considered quite effective regarding this problem. Not only this supplement helps humans but also, dogs as well.
If you want to help your dog pass the night without any stress, anxiety, or panting, supplements can be the right solution for them.
How does CBD oil help with stress and anxiety issues?
If your dog is suffering from stress and anxiety which make it pant at night, CBD supplement is going to help a lot. The hemp plant is the source of CBD oil which contains soothing and relaxing properties hence, it helps the dog to overcome stress and anxiety.
The response of the receptors of the brain is changed towards serotonin which is a mood-stabilizing hormone. Whether it’s anxiety, stress, bad mood, or any other emotional disruption, serotonin helps in managing it well.
What health concerns are related to dogs panting at night?
If the dog is panting frequently at night, this means it is suffering from some serious and dangerous health condition. Usually, if the dog is panting along with harsh and loud sounds, it indicates that this is due to some disease. Your dog will feel difficulty in breathing and you should immediately reach the vet.
Heatstroke:
During very hot weather conditions, there is a greater possibility that your dog might suffer from heatstroke. The heatstroke will make the dog pant both at night as well as during the day. Redness of tongue, increased heart rate, increased body temperature, and glazed eyes are other symptoms of heatstroke along with panting at night. In such conditions, offer the dog more and more water and don’t let the dog get exposed to sunlight during the daytime.
Respiratory issues:
Some respiratory issues show the symptoms of panting and shortness of breath. For instance, if the dog is suffering from bronchitis, it will not only cause weakness, coughing, fever, or inflammation, but due to shortness of breath, the dog will pant to grasp some air. If your dog hasn’t been diagnosed with any respiratory disorder before and is showing any of these symptoms get it checked by the vet as soon as possible.
Cushing’s disease:
When adrenal glands produce high levels of cortisol, the diseased condition is known as Cushing’s disease. Panting at night is accompanied by other symptoms including potbelly, skin and hair deviations, enhanced thirst, and increased body weight.
Obesity
Excess weight is never good for dogs as it can be the major cause of many serious health concerns. An obese dog usually pants at night as a symptom of any health condition. Some common problems caused by obesity in dogs are CVDs and arthritis.
Heart issues
Coughing and abnormal panting are the major symptoms that some dogs suffer due to Cardiovascular diseases as they experience shortness of breath. General weakness and tiredness are other signs of heart disease.
Bottom line:
In conclusion, there is a detailed answer to the problem of why my dog is panting at night. It could be any health concern, separation anxiety, or allergic reaction. Observe your dog’s behavior and reach the vet immediately before the condition gets worse.