11 week old akita panting fast and seems to have a really itchy face?

by nicola
(uk)

this picture is when he was 7wks old

I noticed over the past few weeks my puppy seems to be panting very fast and his heart beats really fast as well, but earlier on tonight he seems to of got worse and he seems to have a really itchy face he is rubbing it on anything he can.

Please help


Hi Nicola
Panting and rapid heart beat is often a sign of stress/distress/pain etc. and it would seem as though your pup isn't feeling well or is very upset by something.

The itchy face and obsessive rubbing you mention makes me think that dog allergies of some sort may be the problem - or at least part of the problem.

Excessive itching, scratching, rubbing and so on, especially at the face/head, feet, legs and/or tail area is a classic symptom of an allergic reaction.

Dogs can be allergic to all sorts of things, including inhalant allergens such as dust, pollen, mold etc., plus contact allergens such as shampoos, cleaning products, insecticides, even grass. dog food allergies are also pretty common.

I'd recommend trying to think back to when this started and see if you can think of anything that changed around the time you first started noticing symptoms. Did you change his dog food, have the carpets cleaned, use a flea preventative on him and so on?

If you can't think of anything and his symptoms continue I'd recommend getting your veterinarian to give him a thorough check up to rule out other health issues. If your vet thinks it could be allergies he can do some allergy tests for you.

Your pup is definitely distressed and you need to find out what is at the root of his symptoms as they appear to be getting worse. Your vet will be the best person to help you.

I wish you the best of luck with that beautiful pup and hope that he's doing much better soon.