What will you do when you feel hot? You may drink lots of water, take off your heavy clothes and wear light ones instead, and do everything you can to beat the heat. But the most important natural mechanism that helps you to fight the heat is your ability to sweat. Sweating produces moisture on the surface of the skin, and the skin cools as this moisture evaporates. This is the mechanism that helps humans to lose excess heat from their body. Such a mechanism does not exist in the body of a dog. Panting, which is a common feature in dogs, is related to their technique of beating the heat.

Sweating in Dogs

As mentioned earlier, dogs do not sweat like humans do. Unlike humans, dogs have very few sweat glands, and most of these glands are located along the base of their feet. Imagine the amount of sweat which can be released through these few sweat glands, as it is almost impossible for them to sweat through their fur. The little amount of sweat released, actually results in generating more body heat in dogs. This can be the reason behind the death of dogs inside hot cars. They get hotter and release some sweat which generates more body heat. They release this heat eventually heating up the whole confined space, leading to their death. Owners of pet dogs must avoid such circumstances which can be detrimental for their dog's health. In short, as in the case of humans, dogs do not have an amazing body mechanism to combat excess body heat. Then how do they manage to beat the heat? Dogs lose the excess body heat by panting, as these animals really cannot tolerate high temperatures.

Why Do Dogs Pant

You may not come across a sweating dog even once in your entire life. This is because these animals don't sweat like humans. But a panting dog is a very common sight, as even a resting dog may pant. Actually, panting is the technique they use to beat the heat and cool their body. Panting is very easy for dogs, as it needs very little energy and does not make the animal feel hotter. This is because of the elasticity of the lungs and air passages. Panting helps dogs to regulate their body temperature. The normal body temperature of dogs is between 101 -102 F (38 - 39 C). A slight hike (of around five degrees) in this temperature level may lead to a heat stroke in the dog. Hence, monitoring slight changes in their behavior should be a part of dog care.

Usually, dogs pant with their tongues hanging out, and this posture helps them release excess body heat. Apart from cooling the mouth and the tongue, this posture also helps these animals to cool the blood vessels of the head. This process protects their brain from over heating and also provides circulation of cooler blood to other body parts. The tongue plays an important role in this process, as the surface area of the tongue facilitates evaporation, which in turn helps the dogs to cool off. This explains why do dogs pant with their tongues lolling.

Panting of dogs is normal more during hot climates or after heavy exercise and running. But if you have a pet dog, you must monitor heavy panting of your dog that happens without any reason. It can be a symptom of a heatstroke, which may also cause a dry mouth and nose, abnormal breathing and heart rate, seizures, pale or dark gums, etc. In such cases, immediate medical attention is needed, and meanwhile you can make the dog feel cool by giving cool water to drink and applying ice packs beneath the legs. Make sure that you are not covering the dog, as it can trap the heat and cause more trouble. Now you know the reason behind why do dogs pant. It is very much normal, but any abnormal symptoms should be monitored, as some other dog health problems too can be the reason behind the heavy panting.