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by kaml311 on September 2nd, 2004

kaml311

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My dog has been pacing and panting a lot lately. She will lie down then get up again moments later and lie down again. She is 13 years old now, so I'm a bit concerned. What can be wrong?

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  • by Veterinary Pathology on May 21st, 2006

    Veterinary Pathology

    I am a vet, actually, but what you describe could be caused by a broad range of problems. It sounds like your dog is experiencing some discomfort. A general physical examination would be a logical first step to try and find out what might be wrong.

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  • by Fraser on October 23rd, 2007

    Fraser

    I have a 15 year old west highland terrier, who is doing this also. He just paces and is panting constantly. He has plenty of water, but is off his food. His legs are not very good and appear to be seizing up sometimes. Over the last couple of he has fallen over with nothing surrounding him and nothing has gotten in his way. Should we take him to the Vets or will this just disorientate him even more? It just seems as though he cannot get comfortable in his bed at all anymore.

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  • by Ruby21103 on November 30th, 2006

    Ruby21103

    My bichon started doing this when she was around that age. Not trying to scare u or anything, but after a few months of doing that she would stay upstairs in my bedroom all day and then she finally past away at the age of 14.I learned from the vet that usually dogs tend to hide when they are dying.Your dog is pretty old, maybe this is whats happening to her.I would definitley take her to the vet to see what he thinks.

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  • by GailDengler on February 18th, 2008

    GailDengler

    Take the dog to the vet asap! I have a 13 year old lab weimeraner mix who has a hemangioma sarcoma of the spleen. When it bleeds out, she will drink excessive water and will pant and pace due to the pain. I have medication for her and that helps ease her discomfort. It is a terminal situation unfortunately and she only has a few more days on this earth. Each day she is here is such a blessing. When her episodes of bleeding and pain increase I will do the humane thing and have her euthanized. Don't let your pet suffer.

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  • by Pensive on October 23rd, 2007

    Pensive

    This is exactly what my old Boxer is doing. She has arthritis, and I give her a pain pill at bedtime. The thirst thing is very possibly Diabetes. She sure sounds like she is in pain, with the panting and pacing. I hope you will have a vet check her out. Good Luck to you.

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  • by JamiLea on November 9th, 2004

    JamiLea

    Dogs do that when they get old. Sometimes, they can't get comfortable. You might want to take her to a vet just to make sure everything is working properly for her and maybe some medicine to help her get some sleep. Make sure she drinks lots of water.

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  • by Danny Mays on September 27th, 2004

    Danny Mays

    I am not a vet, but please have your vet check out the adrenal glands. It could be under active. The thyroid might also need to be checked--blood test.

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  • by Thriftymaid on September 21st, 2009

    Thriftymaid

    It may be old age (dementia) but I would take him to the vet.

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  • by josie III on September 21st, 2009

    josie III

    She is in pain. Take her to the vet.

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  • by More2Be on September 21st, 2009

    More2Be

    That is for the vet to examine and find.

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  • by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on September 21st, 2009

    bagicide stayed 10 months too long

    It sounds like she is in pain, but I wouldn't have a clue which of the many possibilities would be causing it. I'd take her to the vet and let them figure it out. At that age, arthritis and cancer would probably be the likely suspects.

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  • by celticmoonlight on September 21st, 2009

    celticmoonlight

    take her to the vet but DONT let your vet put your dog down unless she is in pain. My dog has had cancer and the vet suggested we put him down 4 years ago. he is PERFECTLY happy and plays just as much as the other two

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  • by Heather on September 21st, 2009

    Heather

    My west highland terrier, 18 1/2 years of age, and just died on 9/19/09. She paced around the house and appeared disoriented. She would go on walks endlessly if I allowed her to and when she was alone outdoors she walked in circles. I now realize there was great discomfort and probably paid from her aging body. I questioned myself if she knew who I was, eating habits changed also. I miss her greatly and only other pet owners can fully understand the attachment to this cherished family member. Pam Ware

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  • by Anonymous on August 6th, 2009

    Anonymous

    My dog is 12.8 yrs. old, large neutered golden retriever 95 lbs., but not overweight. Suddenly he was unable to walk properly around the corner before he started panting. My vet and I attributed it to arthritis, but after a couple weeks I took him in for an ultrasound of his abdomen and his heart/lungs. They found an abscess in his abodomen that was ready to burst and cause toxic poisoning, so I rushed him to a vet downtown and they did exploratory surgery and found an isolated tumor in his small intestine near the ileum, removed it and resectioned him. Before doing all this, they tested to be sure he was healthy otherwise. He was on IV antibiotics and pain medication for 10 days, came home, and he is doing well in that respect, but he is still panting too heavily and just goes out to potty and comes back exhausted. What they did not do is check is upper respiratory and now they are telling me that laryngeal dysfunction or paralysis is possible especially in larger breeds. Tomorrow he gets his staples out, and I might x-ray that area. He did have slight pneumonia and slight anemia but the vet said that should not of caused the problem. He did have cancer, but it was isolated, and although it might return before he dies, it was worth a shot.

    If your dog pants too heavily, and you have checked the obvious, you might want to check upper respiratory as well. I attributed (and so did the vet) that his panting was from the great pain he was having. He has been home a week now, eating really well, drinking gobs, but I didn't get a dog that can walk any distance -- not 1 minute's worth. At rest, he breathes normally. I feel bad for him because just 2 months ago he was diving in the water.

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  • by tonysemo on March 16th, 2011

    tonysemo

    My 15yr old german sheppard small breed mix paces at various times during the day and night. She will start to sit then she gets up and paces for about 3 mins or so before she sits down. At night she has done it enough to where we put up a gate to half the house since she was keeping everyone up with her walking on the hard wood floors.

    I bought her a big pillow bed and she sometimes sits in it and sometimes does not and still paces around half the house to the point we don't do anything and just let her walk. I feel that if she has been cooped up in the house all winter then it may be ilke being in jail all the time and bored. I do take her out to stretch and her eating habits have not changed and also her drinking so I am not sure.
    I did buy some valariam type stuff for dogs to calm her down and not sure if that even does anything but I give it a couple times a week

    She plays with my little puppy still, but i feel that this may be her last year with us before having to maybe put her down. I don't think she will take another winter. He joints are still good and she does not cry at all. Her hearing is about gone as well but she can still see me fine as far as I can tell. She stopped barking last year and I am thinking her hearing has something to do with it.

    Is the pacing our of being bored too in the house?

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  • by Debbie_B2068 on June 9th, 2011

    Debbie_B2068

    i have a ten year old westie, and hes just had 2 opps to remove bladder stones, and has now got a stoma. he now seems well in himself and is eating well, but just a bit concerned that he is now drinking more water than he use to. he urinates regular which is good, and hes on the vets dry food now, and we dont give him any treats or human food. hes also recently been diagnosed with epilepsy and is on medication for it. Is it a good thing or normal thing that he is now drinking more water than before????

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  • by messytina on January 7th, 2011

    messytina

    my germanshepard is panting and drinking lots of water what could this be and why

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  • by messytina on January 7th, 2011

    messytina

    my germanshepard is panting and drinking lots of water what could this be and why

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  • by dsizzle on September 30th, 2010

    dsizzle

    Vets don't help. They do lots of tests and charge lots of money. Death is part of life. Do not feel like you have to subject your animal companion to western medicine and surgery and pharmaceuticals. It's totally unnatural to them.

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  • by Connie Bass_B on June 27th, 2011

    Connie Bass_B

    Please, take her to vet quickly. My Little Seme English Bulldog. Had been getting tired easliy and panting so much at night and any strenuous excercising would just sit down. just going for a little walk outside. this had been going on for awhile. He was under doctors care for allergies when they would flare up. Had discussed with his vet. but he said that bulldogs do that. 2 nites ago we went outside for just a tiny walk in the drive way and yard. We came in he came up to me and I thought he was in pain due to arthritis in the back. So i gave him a pain pill. Within an hour is panting got worse. and was going place to place in the room. So i have gave him benedryl.( I thought he was itching and having a reaction to something. panting got severe. Then all of a sudden i knew he was in respiratory distress. It was the most horrible thing i have experience . I called my vet He was out of town. Had to carry him to out of town vet. They gave him a shot atropine and somekind of steriod. He had a few seconds of relief and then he got worse. He did drink water. then While on xray table he coded. He was only 7years and 7 months old. The vet out of town said he had enlarged heart. xrays showed fluid in the lungs. Congested Heart Failure. This can come on sudden or over time. The one here is said severe allergic reaction that brought all this stuff to surface, to something we will never know what ? If i had it to do over again. I would have given him a dose of my inhaler I had no idea it was an asthma attack an some lasix All this stem from an allergic reaction. But, alot of dogs go unnoticed with cardiomyopathy . So please take your dog the minute it starts. Better to be safe then sorrow like I am. Cause he cannot be replaced and I miss him so much. This happen late Friday nite and he died within an hour of getting him to the after hour clinic that took 25 minutes ! I loved him so much. I hope he saw an angel when he left this world.

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  • by dyxrn on July 2nd, 2011

    dyxrn

    No big personal story. Just think about it. Dog are not people, they don't react the same. It sound like a tempature issue or anxiety. Temp could be many things such as a tumor or an infection. The same for anxiety as is could be pain, confusion, fever, or just plain not feeling good and can't express it.
    So if this behavior is out of sorts than take him to a vet. I have been "raked over the hurdles" before but I also know I am not a expert. If I don't have him tested That I cant rule out a reason. If you don't or didn't have a good experiance with someone that try another doc.
    You need to think about the fact that you took in a pet and that means promising good care. If that was a 2 year old child would you take them to the pediatrician? The doctor should be able to tell you about any test he is doing, what he is looking for for.

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  • by Tannya on November 26th, 2008

    Tannya

    i am currently house sitting and the dog i am looking after will lay down very slowly, then after the time of getting down she will get back up again and go for a walk and lie somewhere else. She comes to the door and just stares at me then walks off again. i feel like she is trying to tell me something. she has a red mark on her elbow she keeps licking and looks soor and her back legs keep clicking when she walks. do you know of any home remedies to stop pain?? this is not my dog and i am only a student and i dont have the money to take her to the vet... i feel sorry for her. i found some dog painkillers in the fridge but they are out of date. do you think it will be alright to give to her???

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  • by shepard69 on September 2nd, 2008

    shepard69

    I have a Shepard mix that for about a week has been panting and pacing on and off. I got him from a pound so exact age is unknown but vet put him around 8 as of now. He drinks plenty and still eats. Is this something that can be breed issue or in most dogs.

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  • by Anonymous on August 29th, 2008

    Anonymous

    Read the following exchange. I found it in a similiar search for my full blood chow:

    My dog, 15 years old,a mixed chow, has cushing's ...
    Sent to Dog Experts October 18 02:19 PM

    My dog, 15 years old,a mixed chow, has cushing's disease. How can I get her not to drink so much water. She has stopped eating (this is day four) and today, 1st day, is on ANIPRYL 10mg per day.1. Will this help? 2. Is this enough medication.
    She is Lethargic, Anorexia, Pants, generaly week and I'm sure depressed. I'm trying different foods she likes but she doesn't want them. I gave the Anipryl pills with liverwurst and her vitamins (liquid) with vanilla ice cream. I 'm afraid if she doesn't starting eating soon It might be to late to even help her. My vet says this is normal for her to drink water. she consuming about one full quart per day, it's so much water that she doesn't feel hungry. what else can I do??



    Customer (name blocked for privacy)
    Status: Closed Value: $9
    Answer
    October 18 3:21 PM (1 hour and 2 minutes and 13 seconds later)

    ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
    Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s) is the result of overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands. This may be the result of a tumor on one of the adrenals ( uncommon), a tumor of the pituitary gland which causes release of hormones that signal the adrenal glands to produce cortisol (90% of cases), or iatrogenic (man-made, caused as the result of giving the dog steroid medications for too long a period of time or at too high a dosage). The disease is seen most commonly in middle-aged to older animals and certain breeds (Poodles, Beagles, Boston Terriers, Dachsunds) seem to have a higher breed predilection.
    Cortisol has effects on every major organ system in the body. Generally, clinical signs include excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, increased panting, lethargy, hair loss, weakness, and a pot belly that is a result of a combination between enlargement of the liver and a weakening of the muscles of the abdominal wall. These patients also tend to
    develop darkening of the skin and comedones (black heads).
    If the Cushing's is a result of an adrenal tumor (best determined via ultrasound exam), then surgical removal of the affected adrenal gland is the treatment of choice. Prognosis is generally good following surgery.
    Treatment for pituitary tumors usually involves use of a drug called mitotane (Lysodren). This drug destroys the part of the adrenal glands responsible for making the excess cortisol; it does nothing for the pituitary tumor itself. Treatment can be hard on the patient and includes: lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and ataxia (wobbly gait). It may also lead to the opposite of Cushing's, that is, it may cause very low levels of cortisol, which brings with it it's own very serious and potentially fatal consequences. So animals on this medication should be monitored very closely, especially in the initial loading phase (higher doses of drug given initially, then weaned to lowest effective dose).
    Another treatment for Cushing's involves the use of a drug called selegiline hydrochloride (Anipryl). This helps to decrease the pituitary's signal to the adrenals by modifying levels of the hormone ACTH. It is generally much better tolerated than mitotane, but it must be given daily for the rest of the patient's life.
    You did not give your dog's body weight, but the dose that she is receiving (10 mg) is appropriate for a 19 pound dog. I would expect a Chow mix to be larger than this, so she probably isn't getting enough medication. If she is around 19 pounds, then the dose is correct and it will just take you a few days to begin to see improvement. It is NOT normal for her to drink excessively, so if this doesn't begin to resolve on the medication then her dose will need to be altered (can go as high as 2 mg/kg/day) or she'll need to be switched to Lysodren.
    Untreated/ uncontrolled Cushing's is ultimately fatal as it can lead to multiple organ dysfunction. The elevated cortisol levels alter the body's response to insulin, so these patient's can become diabetic. The animal will likely suffer kidney damage as a result of high blood pressure and loss of large sized proteins through the filtering mechanism of the kidney. They are at high risk of developing blood clots to the lungs; and they may develop neurologic signs if the tumor in the pituitary (which is located in the brain) becomes large.
    I hope the information was helpful.
    Picture
    RGK -- Veterinarian -- 100% Positive Feedback on 240 Dog Accepts
    6 years experience as small animal vet, 17 years experience in the animal care field

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  • by fitzchivalry on January 15th, 2008

    fitzchivalry

    Umm my girlfriend recently picked up a dog that was wandering in traffic. We are currently looking for the owners but in the meantime the dog has some very distressing habits. It doesn't sleep or eat or drink and it hasn't defecated in about 3 days. It doesn't sleep at all I had to go hold it until it passed out from exhaustion because it paced around our living room for 7 hours. When the animal does stop it jerks all over even while sleeping and randomly it will collapse in the floor. I am worried about this animal please any help will be appreciated. I will try to take it to a vet soon. I think that it is a Jack Russell.

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  • by margieh on September 14th, 2010

    margieh

    MY DOG HAS BEEN DOING THIS AS WELL SHE PACES AND PACES AND DRINKS TONS OF WATER SHE IS 18 AND IS A BLUE HEALER SPRINGER SPANILEL MIX SHE HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 3 YRS NOW BUT RECENTLEY HAS GOTTON WORSE, HER EATING HABITS HAVE NOT CHANGED AND SHE STILL PLAYS LIKE A PUPPY BUT THE PACEING WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY SHE LITTERLY WILL DO THIS TELL SHE TRIPS OVER HERSELF OVER AND OVER

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