strange
Submitted by DadtoMatilda on September 16, 2010 - 8:23amWhen the foster dog climbs up on the couch with me at night, he breathes very heavily in his sleep. Very short, shallow breaths. And this only happens when he is up there.
He will actually wake up panting.
Is this a behavior thing? Or is he like overheating a little bit because he likes to make himself a nest under the covers and he is not exactly an 'efficient' breather?
Like I said, this does not happen when he is in his own bed or on the floor or anywhere but up on the sofa.
A couple of things come to mind....
He could be overheating on the couch from the fabric. If it is leather or a heavy gauge material, it can get warm under his body pretty quickly. Especially if he is burrowing under covers!
Also, if he isn't laying flat, but on a stuffy couch with lumps (read: uneven cushions, not junky couch!) he may be getting his head squished a bit or into an odd angle, that could hinder his airflow and cause him to have trouble breathing. I know you have probably thought about these things already, but they are what cometo my mind:-)
Amy and Sophia
Hi Dad, I just posted to you
on the other forum about your fostering experience.
I can't comment on your question here, except that Kofi would pant from time to time when she slept with me.
That was just a strange behavior that others experienced too.
Sounds like this guy has something causing this breathing pattern. I tend to wonder too, if he is just too warm.
Anyway Kudos to you for trying to help him transition. How is Matilda doing with him?
i think it is
a combination of breathing and temperature. The sofa is a Chippendale reproduction upholstered in brocade with a removable canvas slipcover. I am not sure how to describe it other than it is very 'flat".
Matilda (gotta love her) gets very concerned if she thinks he's going to get to sit next to me, but she has allowed it a couple of times. Since she is the boss of the manor here, I let her decide. Last night she figured she would sleep on her back on top of me, which forced little guy to go down to the end to relax. That was pretty much fine with him, and I noticed that without my body heat, the blanket, and the backrest of the sofa, he seemed well-ventilated and didn't do his breathy thing.
I haven't had a bully with breathing concerns and overheating before (and it is actually starting to cool off here now so it isn't really warm outside) so I just wondered if anyone else ever had any issues with that. At first I thought it was surgery pain (from laying down on the incision) but I guess not.
Funny, Matilda is an excellent breather (she only snores softly and has never had a phlegm problem under any circumstances) and her face is markedly flatter than his. Although I guess it isn't the face, it is the upper palate that causes the problem. Eh well. Live and learn.