Why is my dog breathing fast with a pot belly and runny nose?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the pictures, it does not appear that your dog's gums are pale. Reverse sneezing is OK and can be normal in most pets as long as it is self-limiting. Rapid breathing may indicate that she is trying to pant or cool herself off. If she seems to be exhibiting significant effort to breathe (ie, it looks like she is using her abdomen to help her breathe), this could indicate respiratory disease. I'm not sure what you mean by her stomach being swollen, but if you are worried about potentially fluid in her abdomen, this would be concerning and she should be evaluated by a veterinarian. I would continue to monitor her breathing rate and effort. If at rest she is breathing more than 40 times per minute, or if at anytime it looks like she is using her abdomen to help her breathe, she should see a veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mama! She is super cute! I would take Mama to an Emergency hospital and have her looked at as soon as you can. Anytime there is concern for breathing it could be life threatening, especially if she is also weak. Puppies can suffer from low blood sugar which can make them weak. The fast breathing could be from a fever, pneumonia, or pain. The distended belly may or may not be related. She could just have worms. The best thing for Mama is to have a Vet do an exam. I hope this helps and I wish Mama a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concerns. If you have not had chest / abdominal x-rays performed, I would consider doing so. It sounds as though Ebony may have a respiratory infection. A bronchoalveolar lavage may also be something to consider to culture any potential bacteria from the airway so that your vet knows what antibiotics to use, if any. A specialist would probably be the most appropriate next step, especially if your vet does not have the appropriate diagnostic tools to move forward in order to achieve a diagnosis. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Chloe it is hard to say what is going on. That is a rapid respiratory rate for a sleeping dog. The goose honk is likely a collapsing trachea. This is common in small dogs and there is no cure. The tracheal rings collapse on itself and is common as small dogs age. I recommend taking Chloe to a vet to listen to her heart and lungs and take radiographs of her chest to find out the cause of the high respiratory rate. Good luck and kisses to Chloe!

Poor girl. She could have congestive heart disease, cancer, cushings disease or any kind of organ enlargement in her belly. I would recommend starting with a good vet exam and then possible radiographs and bloodwork to get her checked out and hopefully find the underlying cause for her symptoms. I hope everything works out for your pet Lita. Best of luck and take care.

Poor Nicole! There are a couple of things this could be, all of them very serious. I see that she isn't spayed. She could have a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus. The uterus becomes so swollen with infection that the belly gets very large, and it causes rapid breathing from pain. If her uterus gets too large, it will rupture. A pyometra is fatal without treatments. She could also have heart disease causing a fluid build up in her belly and the rapid breathing, she could have a tumor in her abdomen that has rupture, or she could have eaten something toxic causing fluid build up in her belly. Finally, she could have bloat. Because I can't see her in person to rule out any of these conditions and the fact that they are very serious, it's best that she sees a vet now. The vet can diagnose what is causing them and how best to treat it. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Honey Bear The heart rates you are counting are normal. If she is breathing fast then that is an emergency so she absolutely should be taken to the Vet to be sure she is oxygenating properly. Having trouble breathing is very uncomfortable for a pet. Causes for increased respiratory rate in an older dog are: heart failure, anemia from internal bleeding, cancer, pneumonia, fluid around the lungs, hot outside, fever, Cushing's disease. I wish Honey Bear the very best!