Sometimes, you will wonder: why is my husky breathing hard? Aside from being curious about the reason behind this, you would also want to know what you can do about this. In this post, we list down the several reasons huskies breathe hard.
The possible reasons include not enough exercise, allergic reaction, medication, heatstroke, injury, or illness. Other than those, it might also be attributed to the large size of your dog or he is being active.
As you can see, there’s plenty of reasons why this happens. Likewise, many things can be done when this happens to your dog. Keep reading to know more about this!
Reasons Why Your Husky Is Breathing Hard
Here is a list of the common reasons why is my husky breathing hard. Each reason comes with a few clues. Let us take a look at each of them below.
#1. Large and active dog
Huskies are big dogs that are also very active. Your husky might be breathing fast since its body needs more oxygen after being active. After an exercise, you will notice that your pet is breathing faster. He will continue to do this until he cools down.
#2. Lack of exercise
Huskies require plenty of exercise daily. If your husky does not get the right amount of physical activity, he might develop some health issues. This can be the reason why he is breathing hard. The general rule is to give your pet an hour or two of physical activity every day. If you haven’t given that much exercise to your pet and are also not injured or ill, it is best to ensure your pet gets the right amount of exercise. I guess it’s helpful to read about how to play with a husky.
#3. Cooling down
Dogs circulate the air through their bodies by panting, and this helps them cool down. So your pet may breathe hard as he is cooling himself down. This is particularly the case when you notice that his fast breathing is only temporary, like when it is hot or after an exercise. It may also be a good idea to read about how to cool down a husky.
#4. Injury or illness
Another reason your husky does so is an injury or illness that causes it to breathe harder. This is most likely the case if your dog starts to do this suddenly. Notice if there are other signs that your dog is injured or ill, such as limping, vomiting, or being fatigued. If you think that your pet is indeed injured or ill, the best thing that you should do is to take him to the vet as soon as possible.
#5. Hot weather
Another factor that may have caused. You’re husky to breathe heavily in the hot weather. Dogs pants more so that he will feel more relaxed. This is most likely the case with your dog if you notice that he only starts to pant when the weather becomes hotter.
In such a case, ensure that plenty of water, cool room, or shaded areas are nearly available for your husky.
In addition, it would be best not to allow your pet out too long under the sun as it can lead to heatstroke. This is not good for your dog as it can cause seizures and diarrhea. If you see that your dog drools more, check its heart rate. Suppose that it is too high, then he most likely suffers from heatstroke. Give your dog some water and take him to the vet.
#6. Medication
If you put your pet under medication and start to breathe faster, it is possibly a side effect. Check the list of the side effects of the medication and see whether or not it includes heavy breathing. But it is still essential to consult your vet about this.
#7. Allergic reaction
Heavy breathing can also be attributed to an allergic reaction. This is possibly the case if your pet has eaten something he shouldn’t have, then he starts to breathe fast or show any other sign of allergic reaction.
What To Consider?
Your husky may be panting fast too often. In such a case, it is natural. It would help if you did not worry, especially when there is no issue found on your previous visits to the vet. The same is true if your husky is large.
But the next time you visit your vet, you should whether or not the panting of your pet is normal. Once you notice that your husky has started to breathe fast recently, you should consider any other things that have changed. For example, an event may have caused your dog to start doing this.
What To Do If Your Pet Is Breathing Hard?
When you notice that your husky is breathing hard, you have several options to get him to stop. For one thing, you can take your pet to the vet. This is the ideal option to rule out other reasons behind panting, such as the medical issue. If your pet has always been breathing fast, you can ask the vet on the next visit to ensure that this is normal.
Another thing that you can do is to keep your husky calm, especially when the weather in your area becomes hotter. When exercising your dog, do it in the evening or morning, not at midday when it is too hot. Ensure that he get enough amount of exercise every day.
It’s A Wrap!
At this moment, you must have known the answer to the question: why is my husky breathing hard? Then, after pointing out the most plausible cause, you can do something about it.