How do dogs breathe?

Author portrait of Sarah Johnson

Sarah Johnson

Healthcare Technology Correspondent

How do dogs breathe?

Dogs are mammals and use their lungs to breathe. It's just that the hair on dogs is too long and the heat dissipation effect is not good. They usually open their mouths and stick out their tongues to speed up heat dissipation.

Dogs have sweat glands on their tongues. When the weather is hot, dogs will pant by sticking out their tongues to release body heat. When a dog has just performed strenuous exercise such as running, it will pant. This is the process of the dog panting to stabilize its breathing.

How many times does a dog breathe normally?

Under normal circumstances, the number of breaths per minute for a dog is twenty to thirty times. If it exceeds this number, it will It means that the dog's physical condition is not good. The more breathing times exceed the normal number, the more serious the condition is.

Many factors such as exercise, running, excitement, struggle, and hot weather may temporarily increase the number of breaths. This is a normal physiological condition. Puppies breathe slightly more often than adult dogs, and pregnant female dogs also breathe more frequently, especially in late pregnancy, which is normal.