My dog has trouble breathing and a bloated stomach, is it serious?

Labored breathing and vomiting are very concerning signs. In an older, large-breed dog like your girl, I would be worried about bloat as a possible cause of her symptoms - this can be a life-threatening emergency, so needs to be treated right away. Many other things can also cause vomiting, including pancreatitis, liver or kidney disease, exposure to something toxic, or an intestinal obstruction. Based on your description, I would recommend taking her to the emergency vet tonight - she may have a serious problem that can't wait until morning.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The symptoms you are describing sound like an emergency. The description of heavy breathing, retching, and contracting abdomen sound like the symptoms of a gastric dilatation/volvulus, or bloat. This happens when the stomach is filled with air and can even twist on itself and is more common in large breed dogs. The condition is extremely uncomfortable, and requires immediate stabilization and possibly surgery. This can be life-threatening and requires immediate veterinary care, especially if there is torsion. I recommend getting your dog to the vet as soon as possible. There are 24-hour emergency clinics in most cities that are open overnight and will be able to stabilize your dog.

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.

Poor girl. She could have congestive heart disease, cancer, cushings disease or any kind of organ enlargement in her belly. I would recommend starting with a good vet exam and then possible radiographs and bloodwork to get her checked out and hopefully find the underlying cause for her symptoms. I hope everything works out for your pet Lita. Best of luck and take care.

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.

There is a really long list of medical issues that could cause these symptoms, which could involve the heart, lungs, blood, neurologic system, spleen, stomach, small intestines, etc. Tommy really needs to be evaluated by a vet to determine which system could be affected and see if there is a treatment available to make it better.

Lassie needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. With the symptoms you are describing she may have a serious illness going on with her. I highly recommend taking her to a veterinarian. There are many things that can cause these symptoms but with being 13 and breathing from her stomach it is very concerning. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.