Panting/shaking 12yo Springer

[snowpo]

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on this.
Our Springer has several times in the last month or so spent the evening panting/shaking and appearing distressed.
First time it happened I was worried he was in pain and was considering taking him to the vet but then he calmed down and he didn't do it again for a week or so.
He is absolutely fine in the daytime and we haven't noticed any other strange behaviour.
He has now done it 3 times, lies in his bed panting (the house is not hot), shaking and staring intently at me. Or he will come and sit right by me.
The only thing which is odd is that he seems to want to stay out in the garden during these 'episodes' which is unusual as he would usually have a wee and come straight back in.
It has occured to me that he may be hearing some high pitched noise which we can't hear and which is upsetting him as this was how he acted when the smoke alarm battery was dying.
Does this sound possible or does anyone have any other ideas?

Sorry no bright ideas, but I think it's time to see the vet for a check-up.

I don't want to worry you, but my mother's dog, who was the same age, did this, and it turned out that she was not well at all. It was a pain response. I think you need a vet.

My dog 13 year old collie started doing this just over a year ago.
He was put on previcox for arthritis which helped a bit.
He started doing it again a few months later and the vet thinks it's a stress thing due to age ,e.g. Not seeing quite as well hearing noises outside.
He now takes 3 10mg amitryptaline in the morning and the same at night.
The panting and shaking has stopped now.
He was the same as yours fine all day.
My jack Russel also started doing this at night and it turned out he had some bad teeth, he had six removed and is fine now.
It does seem to start off as a pain thing even though they are fine all day.
I would take him to the vet for a check up .
Good luck

Fireworks? My old dog seemed to increasingly get bothered by them as he aged. They can often hear things we can’t.

Thanks all. Yes now it has happened a few times I think we need a vet check. Just odd that its so infrequent but very intense when he does it.
Don't think it's fireworks as there were none going on and he has never been bothered by them before, but of course maybe this changes with age.
He is quite neurotic so could be like your collie jeniz. Will see what the vet thinks.

Unlikely to be the same thing, but our dog was panting heavily and his whole body shaking when his knee cap was slipping out, and then he was fine again when it popped back in. The panting and shaking was because he was in pain, horrible to see while we waited 6 weeks for his surgery. Hope the vet gets to the bottom of why your dog is in pain soon.