TL;DR: Significant side heaving is a life-threatening respiratory emergency that requires immediate veterinary attention. This sign indicates your dog is struggling to breathe and may need urgent oxygen therapy or stabilization.
What does it mean if my dog is experiencing significant side heaving?
Significant side heaving, also known as abdominal breathing or dyspnea, occurs when a dog is forced to use their abdominal muscles to assist their diaphragm in moving air. This is not normal panting; it is a physical sign that your dog is working much harder than they should be to breathe and is likely struggling to maintain adequate oxygen levels.
Is side heaving in dogs considered a medical emergency?
- Urgency Level: High. This is a critical medical emergency; contact an emergency veterinarian immediately.
- Side heaving often indicates serious underlying issues such as heart failure, pneumonia, fluid in the chest, or severe pain.
- Watch for additional red flags, including blue, purple, or pale gums, an extended neck, or a refusal to lie down.
How does a video of my dog's breathing help the emergency veterinarian?
- Record a short 5 to 10-second video of the breathing pattern while you are preparing to leave.
- A video provides the triage team with a clear visual of the respiratory effort and rhythm.
- This allows the veterinarian to prepare necessary oxygen therapy or stabilization equipment before you arrive.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Compromised breathing in dogs manifests with an increased respiratory rate and effort, immediately followed by a change in respiratory pattern. Postural changes (orthopnea) follow; dogs stand with elbows abducted and the back arched or high on the rear haunches with the head and neck extended. Obvious labored, open-mouth breathing, and changes in mucous membrane color (gray and/or blue [cyanosis]) develop last and indicate significant loss of pulmonary function and impending pulmonary arrest. Careful observation of the breathing pattern and auscultation of the thorax can help determine the location of the pathology (pleural space or parenchymal disease).
Chapter: Emergency, General Principles
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 1662)