Is my husky's heavy breathing normal after giving birth and nursing?

Yes, this normal. Nursing causes the release of oxytocin, which in turn causes uterine contractions. Lyla is panting due to the uterine contractions. This can occur for up to two weeks. Keep in mind as well that this can be a sign of a post-partum problem, so make sure her temperature is normal (101-102.5F). If she has a fever, then she will need to see a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

Heavy breathing is quite common in lactating females but it could also be a sign of milk fever which is a condition caused by lack of calcium in lactating new moms. if you also see lack of appetite, trembling and lethargy i would strongly recommend taking her to the vet urgently to get it treated.

If the panting is non stop then it is not normal but panting after giving birth is considered normal in the first 24 hours after birth. one of the reasons could be exhaustion but it could also be due to milk fever which is a condition caused by lack of calcium due to milk production. in such a case i would recommend a vet visit to check her calcium level and rectify it accordingly (usually by injection and oral calcium).

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I don;t think panting for a few seconds is considered heat stroke. Huskies are arctic breeds and are very susceptible to the heat. Keep him indoors during the hot, humid days. You could take his temperature if worried. Use a digital thermometer rectally. Normal temperature is 99-102. I would consider 104 or higher potentially heat stroke. I hope this helps! Good luck!

I would be concerned there are additional puppies in there that she hasn't been able to pass. I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to take a x-ray to see if there are any additional puppies. If she does have additional puppies that need to come out and they aren't removed, they can cause a really bad infection in her uterus and make her really ill. I hope this helps.

Panting and swollen nipples are quite normal for a dog with newborn puppies, as she has only 2 puppies i would not be too worried about the swollen nipples, they have plenty more to feed from. as long as she is otherwise normally behaving and eating she should be fine.

The panting should gradually settle after labour has finished . Unless it is just happening on and off which could be normal, if mum Is separated from puppies to go to the toilet for example. If it does persist she could be running a temperature or she could have more puppies in her tummy. This might not be the case, and it might just be normal for her but just to give you different scenarios so that if she continues to be unsettled you take her to see a vet. With regards to her water intake, always leave plenty of fresh water available and if you are worried about not drinking as she normally does add some water in her food. Hope everything continues to go well !