Why Is My French Bulldog Breathing So Fast: While they are sleeping, this can be due to vivid dreaming. But there can be other reasons for this, including heatstroke, anemia, Onion Poisoning, heart failure, Brachycephalic muzzle, and Fluid in the lungs.
Seeing your Frenchie breathing at a quickening rate, whether awake or asleep, can be alarming. There is no need to panic, depending on your dog’s age. Most of the time, your Frenchie is just reacting to some event that has excited them or just plain exercise.
What are the normal breathing rates for dogs?
There is a difference between puppies’ and adults’ breathing, which can differ from the temperature they are experiencing to the exercise they have participated in. The following guide from the Animal Emergency Center will give you a good understanding.
| Puppies Normal Rate | 15‐40 Breaths/minute |
| Dogs Normal Rate | 10‐30 Breaths/per minute |
| Toy Breeds Normal Rate | 15‐40 Breaths/minute |
| Panting dogs | Up To 200 Pants/minute |
Why is my French bulldog breathing so fast while sleeping?
Like us, dogs will dream throughout their sleeping pattern. This is part of the REM process. REM refers to “rapid eye movement” and is indicated by the rapid movement of your Frenchies eyes under their eyelids as they dream. This part of the sleep cycle will involve a lot of brain activity.
Your Frenchie may use more energy during this time frame. They will begin to breathe more rapidly to take in extra oxygen, which can then be transported from the lungs into the bloodstream and converted into energy.
The REM phase of a puppy would be much more intense than that of a grown french bulldog as they go into REM sleep more often.
Most likely, your Frenchie is dreaming about chasing something around the yard. Older dogs tend not to breathe rapidly for extended periods in their sleep, though.
While a short duration of rapid breathing is appropriate, longer durations can be a red flag and can indicate an underlying problem with your French Bulldog’s health.
It is impossible to determine the cause of your dog’s breathing difficulties, and you will need to visit your veterinarian. Here are some examples that could be affecting your Frenchies’ fast breathing, both awake and asleep.
Heat Stroke And Fast Breathing
Suppose your Frenchie becomes too hot and unable to decrease their temperature by panting (breathing quickly). In that case, they can develop heat strokes; this can become serious and can even kill them.
If your French Bulldogs show signs of heat exhaustion, move them to a cool, shady spot and try to get them to your Vet as soon as possible. Frenchies are more susceptible to heat strokes than very old dogs.
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First Aid For Heat Stroke
| Move your Frenchie to a shaded and cool area. | Douse your Frenchie immediately with cool water to prevent shock. If appropriate, you could also use a wet towel or put them in front of a fan. |
| Allow your French Bulldog to drink small amounts of cool water. | Keep dousing your Frenchie with cold water until their breathing is not as quick and they start to settle. |
Anemia And Fast Breathing
Dog anemia is a condition that reduces red blood cells, hemoglobin, or both in the circulatory system. Rapid breathing is a symptom of anemia. Though rapid breathing alone should not be seen as the only indicator, your dog suffers from anemia.
Red blood cells and the main hemoglobin purpose are to take oxygen from the lungs to other areas of the body. Several forms of dog anemia can affect your Frenchie with various symptoms.
Severe forms of the disease may present life-threatening symptoms to your Frenchie. Still, mild forms can be controlled with proper veterinary care, and your Frenchie will recover.
Here are several signs that you can look for and obtain veterinary care if you see a combination of them:
| Rapid breathing | Fast pulse |
| Pale gums | Discoloration of the skin |
| Weakness and tiredness | Lack of appetite |
| Black Poos | Vomiting |
Based on the type of anemia your Frenchie is suffering from, your Vet can propose the following options for treatment:
| Potassium phosphate supplements | Blood transfusion |
| Gastrointestinal medication | Antibiotics if the bacterial infection |
| Immunosuppressive drugs | Parasite or de-worming medications |
| Bone marrow transfusion | Intravenous fluids |
Onion Poisoning And Fast Breathing
Your Frenchies’ fast breathing can also be a symptom of onion poisoning.
You should never allow your French Bulldog to eat onions. In reality, onions are among the most hazardous food they could consume.
It turns out that eating too much onion can harm the red blood cells of your Frenchie. Potentially leading to a serious health condition called hemolytic anemia.
Onions contain a compound that is poisonous to dogs called N-propyl disulfide. This compound is a sulfur compound, which is the core reason why the onions are so harmful to dogs.
Onion poisoning inhibits red blood cells from distributing oxygen adequately throughout the body. This is bad enough in itself, but it also fools your Frenchy’s brain into believing that its red blood cells are toxic.
Symptoms of Onion Poisoning
| Rapid Breathing | Lethargy |
| Loss of appetite | Pale gums |
| Elevated heart rate | Vomiting |
| Diarrhea | Lack of coordination |
| Discolored urine |
Treating Onion Poisoning
Your Frenchies stomach must be flushed to eliminate the residual poison, or it may be forced to vomit. IV fluids can be used to aid in flushing your Frenchies’ bloodstream and ensure good hydration. Often activated charcoal is used to eliminate the poison in the intestine.
Your French Bulldog will be closely watched until the body generates sufficiently healthy red blood cells again.
Heart Failure And Fast Breathing
Rapid breathing is also one of the symptoms of heart failure is a phrase used to refer to a heart that can no longer do its job. More specifically, the heart can not pump the blood around the body.
It is typically caused by a valve deficiency on either the left-hand side or right side of the heart. But there are many other potential causes of heart failure.
Symptoms of Heart Failure
As the disease advances, you may realize the symptoms of your Frenchie worsening. Some of the most common forms of heart failure symptoms are:
| Rapid breathing | Frequent cough |
| Excessive tiredness | Fainting |
| Difficulty sleeping | Fluid in the abdomen |
| Lethargy |
Treatment Options
Heart Failure treatment’s ultimate objective is to reduce fluid around the heart to operate more effectively in pumping blood into the lungs and other body parts.
The secondary objective of the treatment is to decrease your French Bulldog side effects, so they’re more comfortable. Among the most common treatments are:
| Diuretics | ACE Inhibitors |
| Calcium Channel Blockers | Digoxin |
| Beta-Blockers | Indicators |
Brachycephalic Muzzle And Fast Breathing
French Bulldogs are known for having narrow nostrils and elongated soft palates. Behind the bony roof of the mouth, or the hard palate lies a fold of tissue called the soft palate. As your French Bulldog ages, breathing problems become progressively more severe. The brachycephalic airway syndrome is exacerbated by exercise, heat, and obesity.
Snoring and difficulty breathing are two common signs of a French Bulldog suffering from brachycephalic airway syndrome. Exercising your Frenchie, getting them excited, or being in hot weather can exacerbate these symptoms. If your French Bulldog is overweight, it may suffer more.
French Bulldogs may not enjoy exercising, have episodes of collapsing or show blue tongues and gums due to lack of oxygen, a condition called cyanosis. Frenchies with brachycephalic airway syndrome often prefer to sleep on their backs because this position allows them to have an open airway.
Fluid On The Lungs And Fast Breathing
Rapid breathing is also a symptom of fluid in the lungs. Fluid on the lungs is often associated with pneumonia though many other potential explanations exist. Normal lungs possess fluid that is migrated from the lungs into the body. This process continues for healthy normal function.
Any additional pressure in your Frenchies lungs can harm this process, accumulating fluid in the lungs. When this excess fluid isn’t removed, it forms edema.
Damage can result if this condition persists untreated, but the outcome is optimistic when properly treated.
Symptoms of Fluid On The Lungs
| Rapid breathing | Dry cough |
| Wheezing | Difficulty breathing |
| Crackling noises during breathing | Open-mouth breathing |
Treatment Options
The method of therapy will be based on the condition of the illness. Oxygen could be used to assist your Frenchie to breathe, while some fluids may be given to assist fluid flow inside your French Bulldogs body.
It is suggested that rest can assist in the healing time of your Frenchie. Diuretics have also successfully reduced edema, as they function to force excess water and liquids out of the body.
Your Frenchie will most likely be just reacting to a dream excitement or exercise at the end of the day. Be vigilant, though and if you have any doubts, make sure you see your Vet as soon as possible.
