Accepted Answer

Thank you for the additional information. I am glad that your dog is on heartworm preventative and that her gums are pink. However, labored breathing is always considered to be an emergency, and needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY. Because your dog is older (dogs are considered to be geriatric at around 8 years old), she may be suffering from a serious illness that is responsible for the changes in respiration. Illnesses like cushings, asthma, or any number of cardiac conditions cannot be treated at home. Unfortunately, you cannot treat the labored breathing until you know the cause, and the longer it takes to get your dog to a vet the more difficult and expensive it will be to make her better. I worry that if you take too long, she will require oxygen supplementation and hospitalization. Please try to have her seen tonight by an emergency vet or first thing by her regular vet. Let me know if I can be of further assistance. If this has been helpful, please hit the green accept button. Best of luck with your dog, i hope nothing too serious is going on .

Expert:	ERAnimalNurse
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
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Answered:	10/15/2009

Emergency Critical Care Nurse

16+ years of veterinary experience