Is There A Problem If My Puppy Breathes Fast While Sleeping?

Your sitting there on the couch watching your new French bulldog puppy race around like mad. He finally gets tired, crawls up next to your feet and falls asleep. 10 minutes later, his heart starts beating so fast it looks like he might start vibrating across the floor. Is there cause for concern?

Let’s Sleep!

The first thing to understand is your puppy actually needs lots of sleep. As a growing ball of fur, it needs time to recuperate from all the fun it has when awake. Those short legs and boundless curiosity require a good bit of energy. Sleep is the recovery price paid and the love of your life can sleep for up to 20 hours a day in some cases.

Breathing Fast

If you want to be entertained, watch your puppy sleep. They will roll around, make interesting yipping noises and move their legs as they dream. It is also true that their breathing and heartbeat will often speed up. It can sometimes be alarming to watch as it looks like your pup is having a heart attack. They are not.

A puppy naturally has a fast heartbeat and rate of breathing. When sleeping, this can be somewhat alarming, but it is not an indication of a problem. In some cases, the very rapid breathing is a sign they are dreaming about a high intensity event and their body is reacting to it. If you have ever awoken sweating from a bad dream, it is basically the same idea. The brain is a powerful thing in dogs and humans alike.

Aging

Will your puppy continue to be like this as they get older? No. The heart and breathing rate slows down as your pup gets bigger and ages. They will still have the occasional episode while sleeping, but it will typically be due to the fact they are having an exciting dream versus anything physiological.

Seeing a Vet

If you are truly worried about your puppy, then get off the web and go see your vet. They can do an exam and determine if anything is out of the norm. It will cost you a bit of money, but you will have peace of mind knowing there is nothing wrong. If there is an issue, of course, finding out early could save the life of the puppy.

A puppy who breathes fast while sleeping is not a puppy in danger in the vast majority of cases. Still, trust your instincts. If there seems to be a problem, then get them to a vet.

Annie Klacks
@animaroo