# My dog pants pretty heavily after playing in the dog park, when do I start worrying?



## GigglingPegasus (Aug 28, 2009)

When I walk my dog, we often go for a 2 mile walk, which takes about 50 minutes to complete. Sometimes, we'll do that twice a day. I carry water with me, and give it to him 3 or 4 times throughout the walk. When he comes back, he usually lays down right away, and pants pretty heavily for a while. I am aware that dogs don't have sweat glands like people, and panting is how they cool down. But, is there any reason I should be worried when he does that?

Oh, and a few days ago, at the dog park, when I gave him water he was gulping it pretty fast, and actually threw up water right after he stopped drinking. I guess I should make sure to give him less water more often, but should I be worried?


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

We need more info here Pegasus.
How old is the dog?
What breed is he?
How hot is it where you are?
Is this panting etc NEW or has he always done it?
Could the panting be exercise PAIN induced?

The vomiting up of water is not that unusual...if he was really HOT and drank too much it will often come back up. Frequent drinks of SMALLER amounts will help with this.

Exercise intolerance is certainly a sign of issues. Most dogs with exercise intolerance will get really slow on walks or even sit or lie down frequently, not wanting to continue. This type of exercise intolerance, when it's not too hot or they haven't had a LONG bout of exercise is cause for concern and should be checked by a vet. Heart and lung issues (heartworm disease, cardiomyopathy etc) often have exercise intolerance as their first presenting symptom..often accompanied by coughing as they get worse.

Hyperthermia (over heating) is easier to develop in old dogs or in young pups, they can't regulate their body heat as well as a young adult dog. Signs to watch for are excessive panting, exercise intolerance, sweating from the pads (they leave damp pawprints on the sidewalk, for example) and really red oral mucosa (gums and tongue). In weather warmer than 18 degrees C, more than 20 minutes without water, shade and rest can be dangerous for any dog.


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## GigglingPegasus (Aug 28, 2009)

He's a 1.5 year old Old English Sheepdog mix. 
Last time he did it was a fairly cool day, and the sun was already setting. 
The panting thing is pretty usual and consistent.
He had surgery a few month ago, so we didn't really walk him long distances for a while. We started doing the 2 mile maybe 2 months ago. That's when I started noticing the panting. 

Thank you for telling me about sweaty paws, that's new to me. 

It sounds like he's just getting tired. I know that I start breathing heavier at the end of the walk, so why shouldn't he?


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

If he was off exercise for a good while, it may be you've worked up too fast to the longer walks. Try giving him some good rest breaks during the walk and frequent small amounts of water. Watch for the other signs and check his oral mucosa (press on his gums, they should "go white or pale" and then refill right away...if they do not come back to normal colour really quickly OR they are too pale to even notice when you press on them..he needs to see a vet to get his heart checked.


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## GigglingPegasus (Aug 28, 2009)

I will check his gums, thanks.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

When I work my dog hard on runs in warmer weather, I give him a small amount of water part of the way through but then at home I give him ice cubes, one at a time over 10-15 minutes. He loves the crunch, they are nice and cool and they get the water into him slowly. After that, then he gets some water. 

If your dog is really having trouble, then carry a water bottle and a small deli type plastic bowl (suggested because they are very lightweight) and give a few squirts of water every 15 minutes.


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