When you gain a pound of fat, your body makes seven new miles of blood vessels. This means your body must work harder to pump blood through all of these extra new vessels, which may put a strain on your heart, and may reduce oxygenation and nutrient replenishment in other tissues.
Panting is a sign that your dog is excited, hot, or both. But panting is also a warning sign. If your dog is taking a break from exercise and continues to pant heavily, this could be a sign of heatstroke â a medical emergency. Move your dog to a cool spot or indoors immediately.
There are a number or respiratory and cardiovascular disorders than can cause unexplained panting in your dog. If your dog is panting for no obvious reason, or continues to pant longer than ten minutes after exercise, talk to your veterinarian. Your dog can be panting as a response to pain. If your dog is panting and salivating excessively, retching and has a distended abdomen, he might be suffering from bloat. Bloat is a life-threatening condition, take your dog to a vet immediately! Other causes of pain can include pancreatitis or joint pain.