Help!!! Excessive panting

Hi, can someone please help? For the past 15 mins Barney has been panting really fast and I'm so scared he's going to give himself a heart attack or something. It's cos of the fireworks, yes they are still going off round here He's laying down but still panting really hard and fast.

Is this normal?

Hi Tj, firstly you gotta relax or he will sense there is something wrong it may well be anxiety due to fireworks. How is he now?

Awww poor Barney - Benjis not keen on them either but just whimpers a bit when he hears then and wants to go upstairs for some reason I think it is normal when a dog gets a bit stressed that it pants a lot. Have you tried Rescue Remedy from Boots chemist some people swear by it and I gave benji some last year and he seemed okay (I had some myself too )

TJ Has he got any water close by so he doesn't dehydrate himself

Oh dear - these fireworks!!!

We took Fern out to play when they did trafalgar celebrations, it took a bit of working but we managed to distract him and by the end of it he wasn't worried.

I don't know what to suggest though as ever dog is different

Saz, he seems a lot calmer now thank goodness, breathing back to normal. Thanks hun

Foxy, have heard a lot of good stuff about rescue remedy, will get some and see if it helps. I hate to see him so upset

MC, yeah he had a nice fresh bowl of water available

Thank you girls, I was so worried, never seen him like that before

Glad he's calmed down TJ - give him a big hug and a kiss from me, poor lad

Will do Foxy, thanks hun

Hi there, yes panting is very normal when dogs are stressed, it helps to cool them when fear makes the heart rate rise and hormones that assist the dog to 'flee' are released. You can help by ignoring the fear and whatever is causing it, do not sympathise you will make it worse because the dog will think if you are worried so there must be something to worry about. Use a cheerful voice so the dog things there is nothing wrong. If the problem is caused by fireworks this advice given in a post the other day may help...

Thanks for that hun, just had a read and there are a few suggestions worth trying

I shouldn't worry too much tj, my Cassie was like that last night with all those bl**dy fireworks, sooooo loud some of those bangs!
She ended up lying on top of my head in bed, coz that seems to be her favourite spot when she's like that, but she too, pants like mad and her poor little heart is going like the clappers! She has been like this every time we've had fireworks for about 6 years now and has always survived, so please don't worry too much, I know it looks awful, but it must be their way of dealing with this stress.

Maybe tomorrow you can get some of that Bach's flower remedy or the other one (forgotten the name now!) I'm lucky, ours haven't started yet, but last night they were only 2 doors away and they were big, so nothing that goes on tonight will be as bad as that for her. I had to remember to let her out just before it got dark, coz she would never dare to go outside whilst they were going on. Take care of your Barney, I give mine lots of stroking, but I really try and ignore her, and she seems better when I do that. Poor Barney!