हिंदी में पढ़ेंThis article is also available in Hindi
Written and reviewed by Dr. Vaishnavi Karmawat, B.V.Sc. & A.H., Registered Veterinary Practitioner 
Short answer: dogs shiver or pant for many normal reasons: cooling down after play, excitement, dreaming, or a cold winter morning. But trembling or heavy panting at rest, especially at night, with restlessness, or with other signs, can point to pain, fear, fever, poisoning, heat stroke, low blood sugar, low calcium in a nursing mother, Cushing’s disease, or heart and lung problems. Use the guide below to tell normal from worrying, and when to go to a vet now.
In this article
- How to count your dog’s breathing rate
- Normal vs worrying panting
- Causes of excessive panting
- Causes of shaking or trembling
- Go to a vet immediately if your dog is shaking or panting and
- What you can do at home for mild cases
- How vets find the cause
- Breed-related causes of panting and trembling
- Seizure or tremor? How to tell
- Frequently asked questions
- When to call a vet
- Related Articles
- References
Key takeaways
- Panting is how dogs cool down. Heavy panting in a cool room, at night, or with drooling, collapse or blue or pale gums is not normal.
- Shaking can come from cold, fear, excitement or pain, or from poisons and metabolic problems that need urgent care.
- A resting or sleeping breathing rate over about 30–35 breaths per minute, if persistent, is a warning sign for heart or lung disease.
- Emergencies: tremors after a possible poison, panting with a swollen belly, panting in heat, trembling in a nursing mother, or shaking with collapse or seizures.
How to count your dog’s breathing rate
- Wait until your dog is relaxed or asleep, in a cool place.
- Count one rise and fall of the chest as one breath.
- Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
- Most healthy resting dogs breathe about 15–30 times a minute. Record it on several days; a rising trend matters more than one number.
Normal vs worrying panting
| Usually normal | Worrying |
|---|---|
| After exercise or play, settling within 10–15 minutes | At rest in a cool room, or not settling |
| Hot day, with access to shade and water | Heavy panting in heat with drooling, red or purple gums, wobbling: heat stroke |
| Excitement (visitors, car ride, walk time) | At night, with restlessness, pacing or getting up and down |
| Flat-faced breeds (Pug, Bulldog, Shih Tzu) breathe noisily | Noisy breathing that worsens, blue gums, collapse |
| With a swollen belly or unproductive retching: bloat |
Causes of excessive panting
- Heat and heat stroke: a major risk in Indian summers. See heatstroke in dogs.
- Pain: arthritis, back or disc pain, abdominal pain (pancreatitis, bloat), injury. Dogs often pant and tremble when in pain.
- Fear and anxiety: firecrackers, thunder, car travel, vet visits.
- Fever from infections, including tick fever.
- Cushing’s disease (excess cortisol) and steroid medicines: panting at rest, pot belly, increased thirst. See diabetes and Cushing’s.
- Heart disease: fluid in the lungs causes faster breathing at rest, coughing, tiring easily.
- Lung and airway disease: pneumonia, laryngeal paralysis (older large breeds, with a hoarse bark and noisy breathing), collapsing trachea in toy breeds, brachycephalic airway syndrome.
- Anaemia: pale gums, weakness (tick fever, hookworms, bleeding).
- Obesity, which makes cooling and breathing harder.
- Poisoning: chocolate, caffeine, some medicines.
Causes of shaking or trembling
| Cause | Clues | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| Cold | Short-coated, small or old dogs on winter mornings; stops when warm | Low |
| Fear or excitement | Firecrackers, visitors, vet visits; tail tucked, ears back | Low to moderate |
| Dreaming | Twitching during sleep; wakes normally when called | Normal |
| Pain | Hunched posture, reluctance to move, yelping when touched, trembling hind legs (back pain) | Same-day vet |
| Fever and illness | Lethargy, poor appetite, warm ears; tick fever is common in India | Same-day vet |
| Nausea | Lip-licking, drooling, before vomiting | Depends on cause |
| Poisoning | Chocolate, caffeine, organophosphate or carbamate insecticides, rat poison (bromethalin), human medicines; drooling, twitching, seizures | Emergency |
| Low blood sugar | Toy-breed puppies that missed meals, diabetic dogs on insulin, xylitol poisoning; weakness, wobbliness, seizures | Emergency |
| Low calcium (eclampsia) | Nursing mother 1–4 weeks after giving birth, especially small breeds with large litters; restless, panting, stiff, trembling, then seizures | Emergency |
| Generalised tremor syndrome (“shaker syndrome”) | Young adult small white dogs (Maltese, West Highland Terrier, Poodle); whole-body tremor, otherwise alert | See a vet; treatable with steroids |
| Old-age tremors | Senior dogs with trembling back legs while standing, often due to muscle weakness | Routine check |
| Neurological disease, kidney or liver failure, distemper | Other signs: twitching, wobbliness, confusion, vomiting | See a vet promptly |
Go to a vet immediately if your dog is shaking or panting and
- may have eaten something toxic (chocolate, insecticide, rat poison, medicines)
- is a nursing mother
- is in a hot place, or has a temperature over 40°C (104°F)
- has a swollen belly, is retching, or is restless
- has pale, white, blue or brick-red gums
- collapses, cannot stand, or has a seizure
- is breathing with effort, with the belly heaving, neck stretched out or nostrils flaring
- is diabetic and on insulin
- is a small puppy that has not eaten
What you can do at home for mild cases
- Cold: a sweater for short-coated dogs, raised bedding away from drafts, and a warm (not hot) room. Never use coal angithis or sigris indoors (carbon monoxide risk). See winter care for dogs.
- Fear: a quiet den, closed curtains, background music, staying calm, no punishment. Ask your vet about anti-anxiety medicines before festivals.
- After exercise: shade, water and rest; avoid walks in afternoon heat.
- Check the temperature with a digital rectal thermometer. Normal is about 38.3–39.2°C.
- Keep a short video of the episode for your vet.
How vets find the cause
- Full physical exam, including temperature, heart and lung sounds, gum colour and pain assessment
- Blood tests: CBC (anaemia, infection, tick fever), glucose, calcium, electrolytes, kidney and liver values
- Chest X-rays and echocardiogram for heart and lung disease
- Cortisol tests if Cushing’s is suspected
- Neurological exam, and further tests for persistent tremors
Breed-related causes of panting and trembling
| Condition | Breeds most affected | What you notice |
|---|---|---|
| Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) | Pugs, French and English Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, Boxers | Noisy breathing, snoring, heavy panting, poor heat tolerance, collapse in hot weather. Surgery to widen the nostrils and shorten the soft palate can help greatly |
| Laryngeal paralysis | Older Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds | Hoarse bark, loud breathing on breathing in, heavy panting in heat, sometimes collapse. A common reason older large dogs struggle in the Indian summer |
| Generalised tremor syndrome (“little white shaker”) | Small dogs, often white coated (Maltese, West Highland Terriers), but any colour | Whole-body tremor that worsens with excitement, usually in young adults. Responds well to steroid treatment |
| Idiopathic head tremor | Dobermans, Bulldogs, Boxers, Labradors | Episodes of head bobbing (“yes” or “no”) while the dog stays alert and responsive. Usually harmless; distracting the dog with a treat often stops it |
| Old-age hind-limb tremor | Senior dogs of any breed | Back legs shake when standing still, often linked to muscle loss, arthritis or nerve problems. A vet check for pain is worthwhile |
| Hypoglycaemia | Toy-breed puppies (Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier) | Trembling, weakness, wobbling or seizures after missing meals. Rub honey or sugar syrup on the gums and see a vet immediately |
Seizure or tremor? How to tell
- During a tremor, the dog is usually aware of you, can respond to its name, and the shaking may stop when it is distracted or moves.
- During a seizure, the dog is usually unaware, may fall on its side, paddle its legs, drool, and pass urine or stool, and is often confused afterwards.
- Film the episode on your phone. A short video is one of the most useful things you can show your vet.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my dog pant at night?
Common reasons are a warm room, pain (often arthritis), anxiety, Cushing’s disease, heart disease, or needing to go out. Night-time panting in a senior dog is worth a vet check.
Why does my dog shake after a bath?
Mostly to dry off and because wet fur makes them cold. Dry thoroughly with a towel and keep them warm.
My Chihuahua shakes all the time. Is that normal?
Small breeds lose heat quickly and are often excitable, so some trembling is normal. Sudden new trembling, or shaking with other signs, should be checked.
Is it normal for my dog to pant in the car?
Many dogs pant from excitement, motion sickness or anxiety in cars. Keep the car cool, never leave your dog inside a parked car, and ask your vet about travel medicines.
When to call a vet
Go immediately for any of the emergency signs above. Book a visit if panting or shaking is new, happens at rest or at night, or comes with changes in appetite, thirst, energy or behaviour.
Related Articles
- Dog Pooping Blood in India: Red Blood (Hematochezia) vs Black Tarry Stool (Melena), Causes and When To See a Vet
- Bloody Diarrhoea in Dogs (Raspberry Jam Stool): Colitis vs Hookworms vs Parvo vs AHDS in Indian Dogs
- Why Is My Dog Coughing (Khansi)? Kennel Cough vs Heart Cough vs Tracheal Collapse vs Throat Blockage, and Safe Steam Care
- Dog Seizures (Mirgi / Fits) First Aid Guide in India: What To Do During a Fit, Distemper vs Epilepsy and Safe Anti-Seizure Care
References
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Tremors, Heatstroke, Puerperal hypocalcemia (eclampsia), Hypoglycemia in small animals.
- Porciello F, et al. Sleeping and resting respiratory rates in dogs and cats with medically controlled left-sided congestive heart failure. Vet J 2016.
- Bruchim Y, et al. Heat stroke in dogs: a retrospective study of 54 cases. J Vet Intern Med 2006.
- Ettinger SJ, Feldman EC, Côté E. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 8th ed.: Panting and tachypnea; Tremors.
- Packer RMA, Hendricks A, Tivers MS, Burn CC. Impact of facial conformation on canine health: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(10):e0137496.
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