Why does my Yorkie struggle to breathe when lying down with a mass?

Poor Bauer. Episodes of strange breathing are likely, in her case, to be due to her ongoing problems. Weight loss is also a concern as dogs with tumors often lose weight while the tumor continues to grow. I would recommend you to see your vet and discuss if there are any medications that could give Bauer some relief. She may benefit from administration of pain killers as lung mass can cause discomfort and potentialy abnormal respiration in your dog.

Poor pup! Without being able to examine him in person and listen to his breathing, it's hard to say whether he just got choked on some water in the shower, or if this is something more serious. Breathing issues can be a life-threatening emergency in many cases, so the best advice I can give is to take him to your nearest emergency clinic right away to be assessed. The veterinarian there should be able to give you a better idea of what's going on, and see what kind of treatment is needed.

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 would recommend that Rex have a thorough checkup with a vet. Gaining weight and lethargy can be a symptom of hypothyroidism, which can be confirmed easily with a blood test. However, the shortness of breath has me a little concerned that there could be heart or lung disease also at play. Heart disease can cause fluid build-up in the lungs or abdomen, which can easily be confused for weight (fat) gain. After thorough examination, the vet may recommend bloodwork to check for internal medical illness, and x-rays or ultrasound to see what is going on inside the body. After your vet has a better idea of the cause of Rex's symptoms, then an appropriate treatment plan can be discussed.

That could be an early stage sign of tracheal collapse, or there may be a inflammation of the trachea or first airways (throat). Tracheal collapse is quite common in yorkies and is usually diagnosed by performing a radiographic evaluation of neck and chest. I would recommend a check up as if otherwise the signs are due to an inflammatory disease, anti-inflammatory and possibly antibiotics are required. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

No, it's not her age, she is suffering from respiratory distress and it could be caused by various conditions such as heart failure, heartworm or lung infection, you need to take her to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. I'm quite concerned about her. Her breathing rate is high for resting, and labored breathing is a medical emergency. I think you should take her into an ER vet now to get checked out. Best of luck.