Are you a new dog owner, and are you discovering new things about dog raising every day? One thing you noticed recently is that your puppy seems to breathe very fast while sleeping. Is this something you should worry about?
Your puppy breathes very fast while sleeping and don’t you know what this means?
Is there anything to be wary of?
After our previous article Dog breathless We have a lot of questions about shortness of breath when a puppy sleeps. We want to answer this question and explore why puppies tend to do this. let’s start!
Since you are reading this article, it means that you are not alone and want to know that your puppy is breathing fast! This is very common, especially when you are raising a dog for the first time and you are still learning. Besides, you may often think-“Why is my puppy short of breath while sleeping” or him, right?
Don’t worry, we will explain everything in this article. After reading this article, you will learn more about puppies’ rapid breathing, puppies’ rapid breathing, and puppies’ heavy breathing.
Let’s start with some common reasons behind fast breathing and discuss the normal breathing rate of puppies.
Why is my puppy short of breath?
Some reasons why a puppy breathes quickly are obvious, such as a lot of play and exercise or warm temperatures. In these cases, it is normal for your puppy to breathe faster, and your puppy is just panting.
In other cases, you may not understand why your puppy breathes faster than usual. If you notice that your puppy is breathing fast while sleeping, you may be worried and ask yourself why he does this.
This is what we are going to see today!
Higher breathing rate
The first and simplest explanation for puppies breathing fast is that the breathing rate of puppies is naturally higher than that of adult dogs. The same is true for any other mammalian newborn. (1) according to Animal Emergency CenterThe normal breathing rate of adult dogs is between 10 and 30 breaths per minute, while puppies have 15 to 40 breaths per minute.
It is important to understand the normal breathing rate of a puppy. When he relaxes at home, calculate his breathing rate in one minute. Therefore, you can judge when he breathes faster than usual.
Summary:
The breathing rate of puppies is 15 to 40 breaths per minute, which is faster than the normal breathing rate of adult dogs of 10 to 30 breaths per minute.
Shortness of breath while sleeping
Are you watching your cute puppy while sleeping and suddenly noticed that it breathes abnormally fast, just like the video above? In addition, your dog may twitch, twist, or whine. Naturally, you will ask yourself whether everything is normal? Is it normal for a puppy to be panting while sleeping?
Is it normal for a puppy to breathe while sleeping? Should I be worried?
Fortunately, it is perfectly normal for a puppy to breathe shortly while sleeping, and you don’t have to worry about it. Almost all puppies have shortness of breath while sleeping. The same is true for babies, it’s fun.
Summary:
Puppies tend to breathe faster when they sleep.
What is the cause of shortness of breath?
The puppies breathe so fast when they sleep, and they are moving because they are dreaming. Although we cannot tell that they are dreaming, it is safe to say that dreams are usually exciting, scary and strange.
The main reason is that the breathing rate increases during dreaming. Puppies usually dream more than adult dogs. In addition to shortness of breath, they can even bark, growl, whine and move during sleep. This occurs during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase, when the brain waves are fast and irregular and mental activity is high. (2) This REM sleep stage It is unique to mammals (such as dogs and humans). It has fast eye movements, low muscle tone throughout the body, and can also have vivid dreams.
All of these brain activities occur when the puppy sleeps, and the body and brain need fuel in the form of oxygen and energy. When the puppy inhales, oxygen enters the lungs, and then transfers to the red blood cells to be transported around the body. (3) The breathing rate of a puppy is very high, which can provide a lot of oxygen to the body. (4)
Puppies are constantly growing and developing, their metabolism is very high, and they are usually very active. Therefore, their organs need continuous and high levels of oxygen delivery to ensure that they do their best to help puppies grow. This is why their heart rate and puppies’ breathing rate are generally slightly higher than that of adult dogs. Over time, as they grow, their breathing and heart rate will slow down.
Adult dog fell asleep VS puppy fell asleep
There is a huge difference between the sleeping pattern of adult dogs and that of puppies. This is why the puppy breathes faster when sleeping.
Adult dog They will definitely be quieter and calmer when they sleep. (5) They may snore, twitch or make other sounds, but they usually sleep peacefully.
On the other hand, puppies are usually more active during sleep. He moved more and more, his body was twitching, and almost his whole person was participating in the dream. If they dream of nursing, they may even whine, bark, or breastfeed.
Summary:
Puppies have more dreams than adult dogs, and dreaming usually increases their breathing rate.
When should I worry?
If your puppy is smart, eats and drinks normally and has no diarrhea or vomiting, then there is no need to worry about whether he breathes faster while sleeping.
However, if your puppy has any of the following symptoms, it may indicate something is wrong and he needs to see a veterinarian:
- Do not eat or drink
- Shortness of breath when awake for no apparent reason, even when relaxed.
- cough
- Seems to have difficulty breathing
- The problem of growth and development
- Very tired and drowsy
- Not playing as usual
- Vomiting or diarrhea
If you notice any of these symptoms when you are short of breath, you should take your puppy to the veterinarian to check for problems. However, if your puppy is short of breath only during sleep and shows no other symptoms, then there is no reason to worry! Therefore, your thoughts will change from “Why does my puppy breathe so fast” to “My puppy is okay.”
Summary:
If shortness of breath is accompanied by symptoms such as drowsiness, loss of appetite, vomiting, or behaviors that indicate a health problem, you should see a veterinarian. (6)
in conclusion
If you want to know: “Does the puppy breathe fast?” then this is the final answer. The breathing rate of puppies in sleep is often much faster than that of adult dogs, which is completely normal! Fortunately, you have nothing to worry about. This rapid breathing is due to a higher breathing rate, a higher heart rate and your puppy dreaming while sleeping.
Sleep is very important for puppies, because their growth and development are carried out during sleep. Therefore, when your dog is a puppy, his respiratory system is developing and he breathes very fast at night. In addition, shortness of breath and swallowing in a puppy is called panting, which is a normal way for dogs to cool themselves. This is common on hot days or after strenuous exercise.
Becoming a new dog owner is exciting and you will learn something every day! Now you can cross it off your list-puppies shortness of breath while sleeping is usually harmless, and most puppies experience this.
Read the next article: 9 easy ways to let your dog play indoors
