When dogs pant, it is normally because they are hot. By panting the dog reduces its core body temperature. Dogs do not sweat like humans do. They have very few sweat glands and they are mostly placed on the pads of their paws. This is not nearly enough to cool them on a hot summers day.
When a dog pants air flows into its mouth and pass by its moist tongue. This cools the blood vessels located in the head and the now cooled blood is transported around the dog's body. For this cooling system to work properly. The dog needs plenty of water. Just like humans need more water on warm days. Dog need to drink more too.
If the dog is not able to cool itself. It may overheat and in the worst case scenario. It could die of heatstroke. You can normally see if a dog is overheating as it will then pant more than it normally does. Preventing overheating in dogs is not all that difficult. When the weather is hot. Make sure the dog is in a well ventilated area and that it has plenty of water at its disposal. Also do not leave the dog in a car. On warm days cars get extremely hot on the inside and they are not well ventilated at all. The heat on the inside of a car can cause overheating more quickly than you may realize.
This, however is not the only reason why dogs pant. Dogs may also pant when excited or stressed. Additionally there are various illnesses that may cause a dog to pant. These include heart diseases, lung disease and sometimes seizures can make a dog pant as well.
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