Have you noticed lately that your Golden Retriever pants so much and was wondering if that’s bad? You came to the right place.
Golden Retrievers are large family dogs. They love playin and outdoor activity.
You may have noticed that your dog is panting so much during the night, or maybe after eating. You probably compared your Golden baby to other dogs and concluded that your dog pants more.
I understand your concern. And glad you are looking for an explanation.
I’ll try to explain, based on my personal experience, why your Golden Retriever may be panting so much.
Before we dive in and answer why your Golden Retriever pants so much, we should answer why dogs pant.
As you may have noticed, dogs are one of the few mammals that pant.
Unlike humans and most mammals, dogs don’t sweat through their skin. Their skin is covered with a coat, which plays a different role.
Instead, they sweat through their paws and nose. Where most of their sweat glands are located.
The sweat glands on a dog’s nose and paws are not enough. For this, dogs use a different mechanism to cool their bodies: panting.
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Panting is basically an alternative way for dogs to cool their bodies off.
This may be common sense to you, but believe me, you’ll be surprised how many people are unaware of this simple fact about dogs.
Dogs pant for different reasons. From excitement, showing pain, to anxiety.
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Panting itself shouldn’t be worrying you. It’s pretty normal in dogs. In fact, not panting is what should be concerning you.
Panting itself shouldn’t be worrying you if you are a new dog owner. It’s pretty normal in dogs. In fact, not panting is what’s abnormal.
However, heavy excessive panting is different. It’s something to be concerned about.
In this article, I’ll explain everything about panting, and what could be causing your Golden baby to pant so much, and what to do before visiting the vet.
Golden Retrievers are big dogs. They are heavy panting dogs. Their big bodies, and heavy coat, cause them to pant heavier, and more often than small dogs with lighter coats, to stay cool.
You shouldn’t be comparing your Golden with other, smaller, dogs when it comes to panting. Smaller dogs pant less.
If your Golden Retriever has been in some outdoor (or indoor sometimes) activity, such as running or playing in the park, it is very normal to pant after it, and you shouldn’t worry.
And, as it goes without saying, there is no need to worry if it’s hot where you are living. Your Golden Retriever is simply panting to cool himself.
If it’s not hot, and your dog hasn’t been in any outdoor activity, yet pants excessively and heavily, then there could be one of these causes.
Some causes are good and require no action from you, while others aren’t, and require your intervention before visiting a vet for a diagnosis.
One of the ways dogs show their excitement is by panting. If your dog is panting suddenly, he could be just excited.
He’s probably happy and excited about having you. If no signs of any pain, you shouldn’t worry, just enjoy your time with your dog. Give him more love. Everything going to be fine.
Another reason why your Golden Retriever pants is stress or anxiety.
Sometimes, panting is dogs’ way of letting us know that they are stressed or anxious.
Causes of stress can vary in dogs. It could be because your Golden baby is afraid to be left alone if it’s a young dog. Or maybe he heard some noise he’s not used to.
Panting excessively could be a symptom of a breathing-related issue.
If your dog is excessively panting for a long period of time for no reason, then it’s time to visit a vet.
A veterinarian is the only person who can know exactly what’s hurting your dog. Don’t hesitate if you think your dog is in pain.
Heat strokes are very common in dogs. A heat stroke is defined as a severe elevation in body temperature from 104.9 to 109.4 ˚F.
Heat strokes can happen for various reasons, among these reasons; humidity and lack of ventilation.
Panting is one of the signs that a dog is developing a heat stroke.
Developing a heat stroke occurs very quickly, as little as 30 minutes. If you doubt your dog is developing one, hurry up, visit a vet IMMEDIATELY.
Lung disease could be another reason why your dog pants for no reason. Panting is one of the ways dogs let us know they are in pain. They don’t cry, they pant.
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do other than visiting a vet. I highly recommend it if you have any doubt your dog has issues with his lungs.
Lung diseases cause pain. You don’t want that to your dog. A visit to the vet should be the next thing you do.
Generally speaking, panting is normal in dogs. If you are a new dog owner, you are probably just overthinking.
Panting excessively doesn’t necessarily mean your dog is in danger. Panting is what dogs do when it’s hot.
None of the above should scare you, unless:
As it is common knowledge, panting is part of Golden Retrievers daily routine.
If you had your dog for a while, you know how ofter and how heavy he pants.
If you believe that your Golden baby pants more than he used to, then help is needed. You should start by making sure first he’s not in pain.
As I mentioned above, you know how heavy your dog pants. If it started making sounds while panting, that you are not used to, then that’s a sign something may be wrong.
As always, I recommend making sure your dog is not in pain, before proceeding to find the cause.
If it’s cool and your dog pants excessively for no reason, then maybe something is hurting him.
Again, your dog could be just stressed or anxious.
You know your Golden baby better than anyone. You can judge better than me. If you suspect that the panting is a sign of any kind of pain, you should visit a vet without hesitation.
While I recommend going to the vet as soon as possible if you believe your dog is developing a heat stroke, there are a few steps you can do at home before you seek help:
PLEASE NOTE
None of these is an alternative to visiting a vet. It is meant just to ease the pain for a couple of hours.
The first thing you should do when you notice your dog pants so much is to provide cool water.
Providing cool water can cool down your dogs and stop the development of a heart stroke if that’s the case.
If not, you’ll know it’s not a heat stroke and look further.
Make sure you provide shaded spots for your dog to sit in. Never leave your dog under the sun.
Bring your Golden Retriever inside if he’s been outside.
Move your dog to a well-ventilated room. Make sure to open windows and let the air in and out. Your dog needs cool fresh air.
Turning on your AC system could help as well.
Panting is pretty normal in dogs when hot, excited, or after exercise. That’s their way of sweating. Some dogs pant more and heavier than others. Golden Retrievers are known as heavy panting dogs.
If your dog hasn’t been in some activity, he’s panting for two reasons, either in pain, or to express excitement/stress. Make sure your dog is not in any sort of pain. That’s what you should focus on.
If you think your dog is in pain, you must visit a vet IMMEDIATELY for a diagnosis. Don’t procrastinate and jeopardize your dog’s health!
