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Why does my dog pant heavily when feeding her newborn puppies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | French Bulldog | Female | unspayed

Hi, is it normal for my dog to pant when her puppies are feeding

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 10th, 2017

Yes, this normal. Nursing causes the release of oxytocin, which in turn causes uterine contractions. Lyla is panting due to the uterine contractions. This can occur for up to two weeks. Keep in mind as well that this can be a sign of a post-partum problem, so make sure her temperature is normal (101-102.5F). If she has a fever, then she will need to see a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

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14Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 8th, 2017

    Congrats on the new puppies! Yes, you can see some panting, especially since she just gave birth. It is normal to have it happen during lactation, as nursing stimulates the uterus to contract thus causing the panting.

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    117Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on September 2nd, 2018

    Panting can be caused by stress, which she may be feeling so soon after having puppies. However, there can be many more causes of panting, including heart or lung disease, infection, anemia, etc. It may be a good idea to have Mia checked out by a vet to make sure nothing serious is going on and to give you peace of mind.

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    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 12th, 2019

    This panting can be normal. When puppies nurse, it stimulates the release of oxytocin, which in turn causes uterine contractions. This leads to panting. As time goes on, this should pass. Continue to monitor Penelope daily. Best of luck.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My staffi dog has had puppies started Tuesday had first puppy 10.35 and then 11.35 the Wednesday morning 2.30 and 5.30 the last one at 10past10 shes never panted just heavy breathing at 8.30 tonight she started panting but nothing has happened she se
When puppies nurse, that causes the release of oxytocin in the mother, and that leads to uterine contractions. The pain from these contractions can make the mother pant. This may be completely normal, but because I can't see Lucy in person, I can't say for certain. The safest option is to take her and her puppies into a vet for a check up to be safe. Best of luck.
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My Dog gave birth two days ago and she's panting very hard. Is this a problem that I should be concerned about? Is it just exhaustion or something else causing it? What to do to fix it?
If the panting is non stop then it is not normal but panting after giving birth is considered normal in the first 24 hours after birth. one of the reasons could be exhaustion but it could also be due to milk fever which is a condition caused by lack of calcium due to milk production. in such a case i would recommend a vet visit to check her calcium level and rectify it accordingly (usually by injection and oral calcium).
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My dog gave birth to 10 puppies on January 10th. Sometimes she will start breathing very fast. It doesnt usually last long, maybe just a few minutes. Last night she was panting a lot but it was really warm last night so i think she was hot. Im conce
Congrats on Eos new puppies! You are correct she could be panting because she is hot, and make sure she is kept in a cool area. She could also be panting because the puppies are nursing. Nursing stimulates uterine contractions for a bit after giving birth, leading to the panting. This will pass over time, but if the panting doesn't go away in a couple of days or gets worse, have her seen by a vet for a health check. Be sure to bring the puppies along with you as well. Good luck, I hope this helps!
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My dog gave birth last night & everything seems to be doing fine but I’m a little concerned that she’s still panting a lot as if she was very hot even when we take her out for restroom breaks. Also she’s been eating a lot but not drinking water.
The panting should gradually settle after labour has finished . Unless it is just happening on and off which could be normal, if mum Is separated from puppies to go to the toilet for example. If it does persist she could be running a temperature or she could have more puppies in her tummy. This might not be the case, and it might just be normal for her but just to give you different scenarios so that if she continues to be unsettled you take her to see a vet. With regards to her water intake, always leave plenty of fresh water available and if you are worried about not drinking as she normally does add some water in her food. Hope everything continues to go well !
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My female dog did breed she gave 6 pups quite healthy....but she is continuously panting and not eating....after 12 hours after last breed she gave a dead baby...but,still her condition is not better...what to do?
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My dog just had a puppy on mon first litter.but she's been panting again like she gonna have more it's been 2 days.could she still have more this late?
No, it would be very unlikely for Daisy to have more puppies two days after giving birth, and if there were more puppies, they would probably be dead. What probably is causing the panting is her uterus contracting. When the puppies nurse, they stimulate her uterus to contract, leading her to pant. This is a normal postpartum behavior, and it should pass over time.
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my dog gave birth to 4 dead and 2 healthy pups 2 days ago and since then she's panting and now today her 2 nipples appear swollen.
Panting and swollen nipples are quite normal for a dog with newborn puppies, as she has only 2 puppies i would not be too worried about the swollen nipples, they have plenty more to feed from. as long as she is otherwise normally behaving and eating she should be fine.
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Hello. My husky gave birth a day ago and she's nursing, eating, peeing and pooping normally but her breathing is sometimes either fast, panting or slow and deep especially while nursing. Is this ok or should I take her to see a vet? Thanks
This sounds normal. Nursing stimulates the release of oxytocin, which in turns causes uterine contractions. This can be painful, leading to the breathing you are seeing when nursing. Given that everything else is fine, I would not worry.
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My dog gave birth about 5 days ago... Nows shes walking around panting... And acting weird. Almost like shes getting ready to have another baby
Please have Storm seen by a vet right away. She may be dealing with an infection or an electrolyte imbalance that can occur in dogs who have recently given birth that could be causing her pain or leading to a feeling of weakness (hence the panting). Both of these conditions can be very dangerous, and need to be treated right away. Good luck, and I hope she feels better soon!
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i have a litter of 6 pug puppys 4 1/2 weeks old mother feeds for short on and off spells we feed her four to six times a day rice chicken and dog food with a lil puppy food mixed shes panting alot but she gets out side plays with the other dogs outsi
Panting can be a sign of pain, anxiety or stress, heart or lung disease, among many other things. I would just watch Maggie for any other unusual symptoms, such as lethargy, fainting, vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination, etc. If anything else shows up, or you just don't think she is right, then I would have her checked out by a vet. As a heads up, the mom will usually start to wean her puppies around 4-5 weeks of age. This shouldn't be causing the panting, but if the puppies are starting to teeth, she may be feeling some pain during nursing and is getting ready to move away from them more often.
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