A Dog’s Panting Habit
Dogs do not sweat the way we humans do. Humans very important mechanism to beat the heat is to sweat. By sweating, excess heat is released from the body when the moisture on the surface of the skin evaporates. This is not so with our furry friends. There is a notion that dogs do not sweat. It is believed that it is impossible for dogs to sweat through their furs. Even people that have kept dogs for years may not have the opportunity to see the pet sweat. Dogs have very few sweat glands and these sweat glands are mostly located at the pads on their feet. The notion that dogs cannot sweat is simply untrue. On a very hot day, the wet paw prints of the dog can be seen on the floor.
What do dogs do to cope with the heat? Dogs bark and dogs pant. Dogs uses panting as a one of a kind cooling system that ensures the circulation of cooler blood to all parts of the body to regulate temperature. A dog that pants needs very little energy. The dog would simply hang out the tongue and the excess body heat will be chased away. A dog’s tongue is one important tool in regulating body temperature.
Because of the location of the very few sweat glands, a dog cannot cool the body if it is running on hot pavement. Cooling off is achieved through the tongue. By hanging out the tongue, the dog boosts the evaporation of moisture from the tongue’s surface. While the dog pants, a steady stream of air cools the tongue, the mouth and the blood vessels in the head. Once blood is cooled by the dog’s panting the normal level of body temperature will be attained.
Dogs pant for other reasons. You will notice a dog panting excessively when the weather is hot. Stress, excitement and strenuous activities would make a dog pant. The physical structures of short faced dogs requires them to pant excessively. Seizures, heart and lung diseases are other reasons why a dog would pant.
Although panting is a normal behavior, an owner still needs to be observant. Panting is one of the symptoms of heatstroke. Dogs cannot cope well with high temperatures. Cars and other confined spaces will be dangerous to a dog especially on hot weather. Heatstroke is a common killer of dogs.
Dogs are interesting animals. Learn more about why do dogs pant and read more about heatstroke symptoms, prevention and treatment at Sarah’s Dogs.
