4 month old puppy breathing fast while sleeping

Being a brand new pet parent can be stressful, as we don’t always know what to do when a situation like a puppy breathing fast arises.

A quick scan on the internet will see multiple searches for problems like “8 week old puppy breathing fast while sleeping.”

In many cases, puppies breathe fast from stress or anxiety, so we always suggest investing in calming dog beds and keeping their environment peaceful.

However, sometimes rapid breathing is called tachypnea, which is often a sign of serious medical conditions.

To answer the question of what we can consider normal and abnormal breathing in puppies, we’ve consulted the work of Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, and Daniel Chan, DVM.

We will look at the mechanism behind a dog breathing fast, the possible reasons for puppy panting, and when it may be an emergency.

Why is my puppy breathing fast?

A puppy breathes faster when exercising, stressed, excited, or when they are hot.