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Why is my dog struggling to breathe, lethargic, and has pale gums?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chesapeake Bay Retriever | Male | neutered | 10 years and 7 months old | 41 lbs

my dogs having problems breathing, he's lethargic and short of breath whereas normally he's very active and chirpy. He has had x-rays and nothing came up enlarged other than an unclear lung. he has no coughs or sound on his chest but he does has discolouration in his gums and a pale tongue. he has blood test coming back tomorrow but im hoping ill be able to have a rough idea from this.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 29th, 2019

Oh no. Poor guy. If he has unclear lungs and labored breathing, then that means that he likely has either fluid or blood in his lungs. Also a mass in the lungs is also possible depending on what the x-rays looked like. If his gums are pale it either means he is losing blood internally, his red blood cells are being destroyed by an immune mediated condition, or he is in shock. This sounds serious unfortunately and your pet is considered to be highly unstable. I would recommend taking Harvey back in to a vet right away for overnight supportive care (i.e. oxygen, fluid therapy, etct) until the rest of his bloodwork comes back in. Also an ER vet will be able to run tests right away in house to quickly assess his condition so that we can decide on further treatment/care for Harvey.
I am so sorry your pet Harvey is so ill and hope that you can diagnose his problem quickly so that you can decide on what needs to be done next. Best of luck and take care.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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