Difficult Breathing in Dogs

The medical term for difficulty breathing in dogs is dyspnea. Dyspnea is a serious medical condition that can result in death if ignored. A veterinarian can determine the cause of your dog's dyspnea, stabilize the dog's breathing and recommend treatment options. Veterinarians like Roger W. Gfeller on Veterinary Partner consider dyspnea a medical emergency.

  1. Causes

    • Dyspnea is a sign of several serious illnesses, including congestive heart failure, asthma, cancer, fluid buildup in the lungs, bronchitis, pneumonia, laryngeal paralysis and obstruction of the trachea, Gfeller says. Certain breeds of dogs are more susceptible to dyspnea. These dogs are brachycephalic, meaning they have short noses, causing the soft palate to interfere with breathing. These breeds include pugs, English bulldogs and Pekingese.

    Identification

    • Symptoms of dyspnea in a dog include breathing with an open mouth, the elbows sticking out from the body, coughing, shallow breathing, fast breathing, noisy breathing and breathing with the neck and head held low and out in front of the body, according to Pet MD. At the first sign of any trouble breathing, the dog should see a veterinarian for a checkup.

    Diagnosis

    • When determining the cause of the dog's dyspnea, the veterinarian might run a series of diagnostic tests. These include a medical history and physical examination, a chest X-ray, a blood pressure check, an ultrasound of the heart and laboratory blood tests, according to veterinarians at Pet Place.

    Treatment

    • Treatment consists of stabilizing the dog while the veterinarian runs the diagnostic tests by administering oxygen, minimizing stress, draining any fluid around the lungs and giving the dog a diuretic, according to Pet Place. Once the veterinarian knows the cause of the dog's dyspnea, he might suggest a longer-term treatment plan.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Depending on the dog's diagnosis there might be some preventative measures the owner can take to avoid dyspnea in the future, according to Pet MD. These measures include limiting exercise and activity level, changing the dig's diet and frequent check-ups at the veterinarian's office to determine how the dog is responding to treatment.