Why is my pitbull losing head muscle and breathing fast while asleep?

Fast breathing, twitching, and vocalizing are all normally seen when they are sleeping and is not a concern as long as they don't do it when they are awake. If he is otherwise OK when he is awake, then no need to worry about this. He appears to be a well-cared for pup. I recommend taking him to a vet for an exam as soon as you can. The vet can scan him for a microchip (in case he's owned) and make sure he's up-to-date on vaccines and deworming. I hope that helps and all is well with Rock.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A high resp rate may be related to heat, anxiety, or excitement. Of course there are other, worrisome things that it could be too, including heart disease, pneumonia. or other infection. However, theses dogs usually are not playful and excited for exercise. Same for the picky eating- it could be totally normal for him or it could be a sign of infection or other problem. Long story short, if you’re worried about Xerxes checked out by a vet just to make sure we’re not missing something important. Best wishes to you and Xerxes!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! An abnormal breathing pattern can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Rocky evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good day!

65 breaths per minutes is an emergency, you cannot wait until Monday as she may very well not make it that far, you need to take her to the vet today. it could be related both to heartworm and the mammary gland tumors.

Any abnormal sounds with breathing is concerning. I would be worried about something causing an obstruction in his respiratory tract. I have seen several young dogs get infections/abscesses in the back of their throat from chewing on sticks or other objects. This causes a more narrow area for air to pass and can be life threatening occasionally. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I would recommend that you have Rousey checked out by a vet. Breathing that quickly is not normal. While sleeping, she should breathe less than 20 times in a minute. Increased respiratory rate at night could indicate heart or lung disease, anemia, or pneumonia. If she has fractured ribs, she could benefit from pain medications. She should probably also be checked for intestinal parasites, which are easily picked up while hanging out on the streets.

From the picture you have provided it does appear to be muscle atrophy which can be a normal sign of older age. Muscle wwastage or weight loss can also be a sign of illness. If Chaos is well on himself otherwise I would be more likely to believe it's muscle atrophy associated with older age.