bearded collie panting/rapid breathing

[annefoth]

i have been to the vets twice now in the last couple of weeks with willow who is approx 12 years old with rapid breathing
the first occasion nothing wrong was found but when i went this friday the vet discovered she had arthritis in her hind legs but this was just a physical inspection so not quite sure how that works
he felt the reason for her panting could be due to being in pain and prescribed metacam and paracetamol which does seem to have alleviated the panting
willow has a heart murmur but this panting hasnt been linked to that
can anyone shed any light as to why she has started panting and do you think its connected to being in pain
on a couple of occasions she has been what i would say gasping for breath but this has only happened twice and lasted about 10 seconds but it was terrifying at the time
another thing ive noticed lately is that she will suddenly sit bolt upright from lying down then go back to her original postion
thank you for any advice
Anne

[Catherine]

There could be a few reasons why Willow is panting more, one being in pain. Also she could be hot, scared. Can you be more specific about the rapid breathing - is for a short while, whilst she is panting etc.? Can you count her breaths per minute when she has been lying down calm and cool to see if the breathing is rapid all the time?

I would have a full blood test down for her - Haematology, Biochemistry (GHP), Electrolytes and a Thyroid panel - T4, FreeT4 & TSH. Hopefully that would help to rule out some things. Also, if her thyroid is struggling this may be the reason for some of the symptoms.

The gasping for breath and sitting upright is a puzzle. Can you explain the gasping for breath a bit more - was she asleep before the episodes? Is her hearing/sight okay? If they are not so good, that may make her jump and show this reaction.

Has she been limping, struggling with her legs before the vet visit? If she is just getting a bit creaky and still enjoys walks and seems okay I would leave off the Metacam and Paracetamol and save it for if she really needs it.