My dog has shallow breathing, hard belly, and new lumps. What is it?

I know it can be scary when thinking about possible cancerous masses in your pet. But really the only way to know for sure is to have these masses tested through your vet. They can be cancerous masses, inflammatory reactions or benign tumors (non-cancerous). The heavy breathing that Allie is doing does concern me a bit. This can either be a sign of pain or an underlying lung or heart disease. So a vet visit although no desired, is probably the bext best thing to do for Allie in figuring out what's going on with both concerns. Best of luck getting some answers and take care.

I am very sorry to hear that you are having these concerning issues with Mambo. From the clinical signs you are describing; distended abodmen, coughing, changes to breathing patterns and lethargy I would be concerned about a potential heart condition. Heart disease can cause the heart to stop pumping blood around the body effectively. This then causes fluids to accumulate in the tissues such as the lungs and the abdomen. This could explain the bloated abdomen and the coughing. I would advise taking Mambo into the veterinarian as soon as you can. Fluid on the lungs can be a life threatening emergency. A veterinarian would be able to listen to Mambo's heart and lunch sounds during an examination and tell you if there is fluid build-up or a heart problem. I hope that is a helpful answer and that Mambo receives the medical care he needs soon. Sending my absolute best wishes to you both.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you are noticing an increased respiratory rate and her belly becoming larger, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having x-rays done to help determine what the cause of these symptoms could be. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Unfortunately I cannot diagnose from a picture. If she is is coughing a lot and having a hard time breathing, then yes it can be a sign of heart disease. But it could also be due a respiratory infection. Lexi's belly doesn't look abnormal to me in the picture, and her gums looked pale pink in the other photo, which is normal. I'd have her seen by a vet.

These symptoms can be caused by a variety of different problems, including heart disease, bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus), liver disease, or internal bleeding. Many of these problems are extremely serious, so I would recommend taking Missy to your nearest emergency clinic immediately. The veterinarian there can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

I would take Cookie back into the vet immediately. Heart disease can be common in senior dogs, and it does cause breathing problems. It can also lead to fluid build up in the abdomen, which could explain the big belly. She should be seen by a vet for these issues.

Your dog should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. It sounds like he may have a heart condition that is causing fluid buildup in his abdomen. This compresses the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Your dog may need to be on a diuretic to help him clear that fluid and ease his breathing. But get him in to be seen right away. Your vet will do an exam, blood work and x-rays to determine the cause and suggest an effective treatment plan.