Dog breathing heavy, pale, terrified, and hiding. Is it an emergency?

I sam so sorry that she’s not doing well. From what you describe, I’m very concerned about her and you need to seek emergency veterinary care immediately. Call your vet’s office even if they are closed—they likely have a recording for either how to contact the vet in case of an emergency, or information for the nearest vet clinic. There are many possible causes for what’s going on, but it sounds like at the very least she needs some IV fluids and some lab work and possible X-rays may be needed. I am so sorry there isn’t something I can suggest you do for her at home at this point, but if she’s just lying there, she seems cold, and her breathing is labored, you have got to get her to a vet. Any treatment you attempt to provide at home is only going to delay effectively addressing the problem. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, best of luck with her.

If Bells appears to be in any sort of respiratory distress, I must recommend that you get her to an ER right away to be stabilized. If she is simply panting due to some sort of stress or discomfort, this is not necessarily required. Regardless, it sounds like she is definitely experiencing some pretty severe discomfort. I'm not sure what they did for her at the clinic earlier, but it doesn't seem to have addressed whatever it is that is currently bothering her. If these sort of symptoms continue into the afternoon today, I would recommend getting her into a clinic for a follow up exam and diagnostics to assess the problem. If they believe she is in pain somewhere, perhaps imaging would be next best things in terms of diagnostics. Hope this makes sense.

OH my. I can understand your despair, especially after having already taken her to your vet. It sounds like she needs to have some testing done to determine what the underlying problem is so that she gets the proper treatment. A pet that is having difficulty breathing, not eating and blood in the stool (could be due to stress), sounds like a possible lower airway infection or even pneumonia. She needs to go to another vet for a second opinion, bloodwork and chest radiographs to evaluate her lungs. If she does have pneumonia, then she will likely need to be hospitalized and treated symptomatically for a few days until she is hopefully well enough to go home. Here is a finanical assistance website in case you need help affording her veterinary care. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html I hope that Bea is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Best of luck to you. Take care.

I'm sorry Lucky is having issues! If Lucky is having a hard time breathing this is a medical emergency and he needs to be examined by a veterinarian immediately. Difficultly breathing can indicated fluid build up, lung disease, or heart disease so it's critical that Lucky be examined right away. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck to Lucky!

Ginger sounds extremely ill, and she has to see a vet immediately. If she can't breath right, she can quickly go into respiratory distress. You need to take her into an ER vet now. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From your description, it sounds as if beanie is in quite a lot of discomfort. He may have injured himself during an activity. If he injured his back or one of his legs and it is just a soft tissue injury such as a strain or sprain, then resting him and not letting him run or jump will help in recovery. My other concern is that if he is painful in his abdomen did he eat something that he shouldn't have and now it is potentially stuck in his intestines causing severe abdominal discomfort? It is difficult for me to say exactly what is going on with beanie without physically examining him. I know you stated that you cannot afford to seek the proper treatment that he needs. However, if you are worried about finances, I would suggest visiting carecredit.com and apply for a line of credit that you can charge veterinary services to. I hope this helps and I hope me gets better! Please let me know if you have any other additional questions or concerns that you would like to ask. I am also available for text and phone consultation if you need.

I am so sorry you have been through so much lately, and I want you to know you are amazing for getting out of such a difficult situation and starting over. I can't imagine that it was easy at all, and you should be proud of yourself for doing it! As for your dog, I have to say his symptoms are concerning and could be caused by a couple of things. The lethargy, reduced appetite, and pale gums could be due to anemia. Anemia occurs when there is a loss or destruction of a large amount of red blood cells, which can be caused by internal or external bleeding. The excessive shedding could be caused by fleas, mites, or allergies. A heavy flea infestation could also cause anemia. Hesitancy to jump could be caused by hip, joint, or spinal pain. All of these symptoms do require an immediate vet visit, and I can give you a number of resources that hopefully will help you afford a vet. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. I hope one of these resources help you afford a vet visit for your dog!