Dog panting can be happening for various reasons, for example, to cool off their body after a great jog, which is all right. However, if your dog is panting without physical exercise, then there could be some problems. This is especially true if you are in the process of making your dog use the crate.
Usually, dogs begin to pant in their crate when they overheat, are anxious, thirsty, nauseous, or have an allergic reaction. You can counter this painting by checking to make sure the crate is at a comfortable temperature and working with a trainer to fix anxiety. You could also remedy this by offering water or checking for medical problems.
Why Is Your Dog Panting in the Crate?
Unless your dog has been chasing their tail for the past hour, there should not be any positive reasons why the dog would be panting in the crate.
Given below are a few reasons that may be causing the tongue to flop out of the mouth.
The Crate’s Temperature is Too Warm
If you see your dog has been panting excessively, you should first check the temperature. Despite popular belief, crates do get too hot, sometimes. If the panting is accompanied by drooling, heavy breathing, lethargy, disoriented behavior, or even vomiting, it shows that the overheating has gotten to a dangerous level.
Few dog breeds are more prone to overheating than others, this makes monitoring the dog’s breathing important. Heatstroke happens to be a very serious issue for our four-legged friends. If the dog is on the verge of internal shutdown from the crate being so hot, you will be able to spot pale gums, confusion, vomiting, and loads of drool. The only thing you can and should do during this time is to get your dog to the vet.
They Might Need Water
Sometimes panting could be caused by something as simple as being thirsty. This is why it’s important to know how much water the dog is drinking. Water makes up a big portion of their body, like humans, and without it, their bodies cannot function. Dehydration can lead to quite dangerous issues.
Panting is a strong indicator that your dog has not had the required amounts of water. If you close your pup in the crate without water, they may be trying to make you understand that they are thirsty.
Few dogs are good with water in their crates, while others are not; so, understand your dog’s position and decide if you should crate your dog with a bowl.
Anxiety
Panting can be caused due to anxious behavior, especially if it happens with other anxiety symptoms. The signs of anxious feelings include drooling, destruction (for example, chewing at the crate), taking a shit in the crate, or could also be whining.
During crate training, puppies can become anxious and stressed, panting tends to be one of the first signs of this. That is assuming you have ruled out the other reasons mentioned above.
Feeling Nauseous or Needing to Use the Bathroom
If your dog is panting paired with lethargy or hanging the head low, this mostly means they are feeling nauseous. This could be caused by eating something that didn’t sit well with their stomachs, could be due to catching a stomach bug, or could also be a serious internal medical condition.
Panting can also be caused due to an allergic reaction. Few dogs will also pant profusely if they desperately must attend nature’s calls. This can also be linked to anxiety over not wanting to soil the crate but also having to use the bathroom badly
This is another reason being attentive to your dog’s potty needs and making a bathroom schedule is a good idea.
What can you Do About It?
After you make out what could be causing the crate panting, you must take the necessary steps to get your dog feeling better.
Make Sure the Crate has the Appropriate Temperature
- The first thing you need to do is check the crate’s temperature.
- You can keep a crate cool by strategically placing the crate, you could use a fan, or add cooling mats as well as beds. You could also use a breathable blanket or reflective shade cloth.
Hire a Trainer for Anxiety
- If your dog happens to suffer from severe crate anxiety or separation anxiety despite your best efforts, getting a dog trainer specializing in mediating this problem is a good idea.
- Severe anxiety behavior can cause health issues, so sometimes doing it on your own can prove to be damaging in the long run.
- Before you start working with the trainer, make sure they are licensed, certified, or schooled and are specifically knowledgeable on anxious behaviors in dogs. Listen to the trainer’s advice and make sure you follow the directions.
Keep the Dog Hydrated
- Keeping the dog well-watered is an important part of keeping the dog healthy.
- The general rule is to make sure your dog drinks an ounce per pound that they weigh.
- Though you probably don’t require to measure how much water is given to the dog, you should be able to eyeball it.
- Very active dogs, or dogs that have a medical condition or are pregnant, or nursing will require much more water than the average house pet.
Perform a Check for Medical Problems
- As with any odd behavior, visiting the vet is a good idea to make sure you rule out possible medical problems.
- A few conditions can be serious, for example, poisoning, which causes panting. While others can be minor, for example, just feeling a bit nauseous.
- Panting is a sign of your dog not feeling well, so a check-up is worth performing. Once the medical component is ruled out, you can search for other remedies.
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