Why is my dog panting so much?

Heat and exercise come first, and they are the ordinary kind. The AKC explains that dogs sweat very little, so moisture evaporating from the tongue and airways does most of the cooling, helped by blood vessels near the skin that widen to shed heat. A dog back from a run or lying in a sunny window pants because its body is working, and that panting fades once it rests in the shade with water. Excitement looks much the same: the doorbell, a leash lifted off its hook, a familiar car in the driveway.

Stress and pain are the two that owners miss. VCA's veterinary authors list panting among the signs of a stressed dog, next to pacing, yawning and lip licking, and the Collaborative for Shelter Dogs at Tufts' Cummings School flags panting when a dog is neither hot nor recently exercised. Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center lists excessive panting even at rest as a possible sign of pain. A dog panting on the exam table, in the back seat or at two in the morning is telling you something the thermometer cannot.

Some panting cannot wait for a count. Cornell's veterinary college lists the signs of respiratory distress as rapid open-mouthed breathing, a bluish tinge to the gums and muzzle, the belly working with every breath, the head and neck stretched out, wheezing, snorting or whistling, and weakness or collapse. Its advice is to take the dog quickly and calmly to the nearest emergency animal hospital, calling ahead if you can and keeping the car cool with the air conditioning on during the drive.

The AKC adds gums or a tongue that turn dark red, blue or purple, vomiting or diarrhea, tremors, a dog that cannot stand or will not drink, and breathing that stays fast or worsens after rest, and it warns against ice baths and ice packs for an overheated dog. VCA describes bloat, a stomach that fills and can twist, as a distressed, restless dog that retches without bringing anything up, often with a swollen belly, drooling or trouble breathing, and says it needs a vet within minutes to a few hours.

Know where you would go before you need to. Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn is open around the clock, and the City of Gloucester publishes a list of local emergency veterinary offices on its website. Put both numbers in your phone today, along with your own vet's after-hours line, so that on the night it matters you are driving rather than searching. If you are unsure whether a sign counts, call; Cornell's own advice is that when in doubt, you should always seek help.

A playgroup day involves plenty of panting, and nearly all of it is the good sort. Our full and half days build in rest breaks and water stations, the outdoor yard is turf with splash pools and platforms, and the groups of 7 to 10 dogs, matched by size and temperament, can move onto the indoor play floors when the air is heavy. Handlers watch for two dogs in particular: the one that keeps running when it should stop, and the one panting in a corner while nobody is playing.

Tell the front desk at the free evaluation, held on weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, if your dog is flat-faced, older, has a heart or breathing condition, or has ever overheated, and ask whether a half day at $33 would suit it better than a full day at $42. Dogs on the Pup Van, $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, ride in rather than walk. If your dog comes home panting and does not settle within the usual few minutes, call your vet first, then call us so we can tell you how the day went.