Differential Diagnosis: Panting

Julie Allen, BVMS, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVP (Clinical), Durham, North Carolina

Respiratory Medicine

|January 2019|Peer Reviewed

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Following are differential diagnoses, listed in order of likelihood, for patients* presented with panting.

Normal (some panting, such as with heat, exertion, or excitement, can be considered “normal”; can also be seen in cats, particularly young cats, although this is less common)
Excessive weight/obesity
Pain
Behavior issue (eg, anxiety)
Respiratory disease (eg, laryngeal paralysis, chronic bronchitis [including cats])
Cardiac disease (eg, congestive heart failure)**
Pulmonary hypertension
Drug effects (eg, from opioids or glucocorticoids)

Panting

Endocrine disease, usually in association with other clinical signs:
- Hyperadrenocorticism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Pheochromocytoma
Fever
Systemic hypertension
Acidosis secondary to:
- Renal failure
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Ethylene glycol or salicylate toxicity
CNS disease:
- Disease affecting the respiratory center
- Postictal

*The differential diagnoses included here are seen most commonly in dogs. Those differentials of note in cats are highlighted.

**Cardiovascular disease should be ruled out in young cats presented with panting.

References

Reference

Allen JA. Panting. Clinician’s Brief. 2016;14(4):84-85.

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Differential Diagnosis: Panting

Julie Allen, BVMS, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVP (Clinical), Durham, North Carolina

Respiratory Medicine

Reference

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