When a dog is dying, they may experience difficulty breathing, and their breathing may become shallow. You may also notice that your dog seems to struggle to catch their breath, and their breathing may be uneven. The time between each inhale and exhale may become longer.
Labored Breathing
This change may take place just hours or days prior to death and is a sign that the dog's body is beginning to slowly shut down.
The last few days before your dog passes you may notice: extreme weight loss, a distant look in their eyes, a lack of interest in anything, restlessness or unusual stillness, a change in the way that your dog smells, and a changed temperament.
Near the end of life, many dogs have difficulty breathing. You may notice changes in their breath rate (faster or slower). You may also see changes to the sounds of their breathing (harsher or quieter). Breathing problems often indicate that a dog is at the very end of life.
Stiffness and limping are two of the more obvious signs of pain in dogs and are likely a result of injury, sore paws, or even arthritis. Your dog might be reluctant to climb stairs or is noticeably slow when getting up. This can also manifest itself as reduced interest in exercise, or not being as active as usual.
As the moment of death comes nearer, the person's breathing may slow down and become irregular. It might stop and then start again or there might be long pauses or stops between breaths. This is sometimes known as Cheyne-Stokes breathing.
Agonal breathing occurs as the body is dying and the pet has no consciousness of this and certainly does not feel like "he can't breathe". Most of the times, those are silent, but occasionally, breathing noises can accompany them.
Signs Your Dog May Be Ready to Say Goodbye
Labored breathing. Lack of appetite. Lack of Mobility or Extreme Lethargy. Crying or intense whining.
Acute grief symptoms after the death of a pet can last from one to three months and general symptoms of grief can continue, on average, for six months to a year This grieving period can vary significantly from person to person and can be much longer or shorter.
In older dogs, labored breathing may be caused by fluid in the lungs or chest cavity that can be related to lung or heart disease. An injury or trauma to the windpipe or chest can cause labored breathing. A foreign object — such as a small toy or food — can block your dog's nose, mouth, or windpipe.
The first person you should call is your vet. If they don't have the facilities to handle your dog's body as you wish they will be able to direct you to someone who does. If there is a Pet cemetery in your area, they are also usually able to make collections. At times you may have to transport the body yourself.
Dogs that are having trouble breathing often stand with their front legs wider apart to allow their chest to fully expand. They may also stretch their necks. Labored breathing can be accompanied by coughing; pale, gray, or blue/purple gums; or fluid from the mouth or nose.
Agonal Breathing
This means the breathing pattern is reflexive, and no longer a response to conscious awareness. Agonal gasping at the end of life is not a “desire or hunger for air” but rather a basic reflex of the dying brain.
Agonal breathing is sometimes confused with a different phenomenon referred to as “death rattle.” Death rattle is more of a gurgling noise caused by mucus or saliva that is caught in the chest as a person is dying. By contrast, agonal breathing is an often brief period of abnormal breathing.
Signs of pain in dogs tend to be very subtle. It usually starts as reluctance to do what they have done easily in the past, like jumping up on furniture or in the car, that then progresses to inability to do these things at all. Walks become shorter, or their gait changes during the walks.
With a healthy dog, you should not be able to hear them breathe at all (except when panting). The act of breathing is, for the most part, performed by the chest wall; it should move “in and out” easily and rhythmically to and fro during respiration in an effortless way; each breath should look the same as the last.
As the moment of death comes nearer, breathing usually slows down and becomes irregular. It might stop and then start again or there might be long pauses or stops between breaths . This is known as Cheyne-Stokes breathing. This can last for a short time or long time before breathing finally stops.
This pattern or respirations is known as Cheyne-Stokes breathing, named for the person who first described it, and usually indicates that death is very close (minutes to hours).
Changes in breathing
Your breathing may become less regular. You may develop Cheyne-Stokes breathing, when periods of shallow breathing alternate with periods of deeper, rapid breathing. The deep, rapid breathing may be followed by a pause before breathing begins again.
Yes, some pets peacefully fall asleep and pass naturally on their own, but as in humans, such a peaceful death is rare. Many owners fear their pet passing alone, while others do not. Occasionally, we are asked to help families through the natural dying process with their pet.
Following euthanasia, your veterinarian or veterinary nurse or technician will help to gently clean your pet if necessary, and remove any intravenous cannula that was placed. Then, depending on whether you are burying your pet at home, having your pet cremated or are still undecided, a few different things may happen.
Give them all the things they enjoy most – their favourite toys, their favourite food. You know what will make your pet feel most at ease in the time that remains. If you become tearful, ask a family member, friend or other trusted person to take care of your pet so you can leave the room and have a cry.