Why is my dog suddenly weak, breathing hard, and has white gums?

Oh dear! Pale or white gums can be associated with severe anemia, shock, or heart failure - this is a very concerning sign that warrants immediate veterinary attention. A warm dry nose is a pretty non-specific sign that doesn't really mean anything in particular, and a pale or thinning haircoat can be associated with any kind of long-term illness. It sounds like Bae may be seriously ill, so I would recommend taking him to an emergency clinic tonight to be seen. If this isn't possible, then I would take him to your regular veterinarian first thing in the morning. Your veterinarian can do blood work, x-rays, or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what kind of treatment is needed.

If she has pale gums then she needs to be examined by a vet immediately to determine the cause and treat, especially if she also has abnormal breathing. Please call your vet or go to an emergency clinic. She could have an infection, parasite, clotting/bleeding problem, hemolytic anemia, mass, etc. and may need immediate treatment.

Poor Chloe! If her tongue and gums look white instead of pink, this is a medical emergency - she needs to be seen by a vet right away. This can be caused by internal bleeding, heart failure, or severe shock. The red spots on her body could be related to a bleeding disorder, or could be unrelated. The emergency vet can do blood work to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment right away.

Fido needs to see a veterinarian immediately. White gums can be a sign of anemia (not enough red blood cells) or low blood pressure and bad circulation. These can be life threatening and need immediate attention. Please have him seen immediate by your local veterinary emergency hospital. Good luck.

I am sorry to hear that your pet is so gravely ill. But the white gums alone means that Prince requires medical treatment immediately! White gums indicates he is either suffering from severe blood loss or cardiovascular shock. He needs to be seen by an ER vet right away because his life is in serious danger. I sincerely hope you can get him seen and stabilized with proper testing and medical intervention.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is very concerning as severe vomiting can result in hypovolemic shock (decreased circulating blood volume) which can be life-threatening. This can result in pale gums and weakness as you describe. The vomiting can happen from many conditions such as a gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further evaluation and treatment. This is a medical emergency. At the very least, they can start IV fluids and start medications to try to stop the vomiting while they find out what is affecting her. I hope that she makes a full recovery! Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chase! How old is he? If his gums are white that is an emergency and he should go back to the vet today! White gums are a sign of shock or anemia. Anemia can be from internal bleeding or destruction of the red blood cells. Shock could be from pancreatitis or a blockage from ingestion of a foreign body. He needs to be re-examined and have blood work and X-rays done. I wish you all the best!