The dog is panting with his tongue sticking out to cool down

Unlike humans, dogs sweat very little: they have sweat glands, especially in the pads of their paws. To disperse heat, they increase ventilation by evaporating moisture from their tongue, mouth, and airways. This is the most common cause of panting.

one of the classical studies is that of Knut Schmidt-Nielsen and colleagues, published in Science in 1970. The authors demonstrated that, during heat-induced panting in dogs, air enters primarily through the nose and exits through the mouth, creating a flow that maximizes evaporation of water from the nasal and oral surfaces. This evaporation removes heat from the body, just like sweat evaporates on our skin.

A later study In 1981, he directly measured airflow patterns during panting and concluded that panting is the primary evaporative cooling pathway in dogs exposed to heat or exercise. Dogs modify the way they pass air through their nose and mouth to increase or decrease heat loss as needed.

These studies have allowed us to understand something important: when a dog pants with his tongue sticking out, he not only breathes more forcefully, but in this way:

• • the respiratory rate increases significantly;
  • reduces the volume of each single breath;
  • circulates large amounts of air over the moist surfaces of the tongue, mouth and especially the nose;
  • It largely avoids hyperventilating the deep lungs, thus not altering the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide too much.

• After exercise: it helps to eliminate the heat produced by the muscles.
• Excitement or happiness: Some dogs pant when they are very happy or stimulated.
• Stress, fear, or anxiety: Panting may occur during travel, thunderstorms, visits to the vet, etc.
• Pain or discomfort: a dog in pain may pant even when resting.
• Illnesses: Fever, heart, respiratory, endocrine, or other problems can cause abnormal panting.
• Pain or discomfort: a dog in pain may pant even when resting.
• Illnesses: Fever, heart, respiratory, endocrine, or other problems can cause abnormal panting.
• drugs: Some medicines, such as corticosteroids, can increase panting.

The breeds that pant the most are generally those brachycephalic, that is, with a short, flattened muzzle. These dogs have narrower airways and less nasal surface available to dissipate heat, so they must pant more intensely to cool themselves.

Among the best known breeds:

• • Carlino
  • English Bulldog
  • French Bulldog
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Pekingese
  • Shih Tzu

These breeds are also more prone to heat stroke. What might be a merely hot day for a long-nosed dog can become dangerous for a bulldog or pug.

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