Why does fluid in the heart and lungs cause my dog to pant so much?

Answer by  patti (29325)

The heart pumps blood to the lungs where it is oxygenated to carry oxygen to all parts of the body, which is essential for life. When there is fluid in the lungs, the fluid is taking up space so not as much blood is being oxygenated. Your dog feels "out of breath," which is why he is panting.

Answer by  worker2746 (2434)

Fluid in the lungs is a difficult ailment for a dog to sustain. It is basically pneumonia that your dog is suffering from. If you have ever had pneumonia, you would know how difficult it is to breathe, and that is why your dog appears to be panting all the time.

Answer by  jtalone (105)

Fluid in the heart and lungs requires these vital organs to work even harder to regulate normal activity. Fluid negatively impacts the effective lung capacity of the dog. A result of this is difficulty breathing displayed as panting.