My French Bulldog puppy's milk comes out her nose when feeding, should I worry?

If there is milk coming out of the nose while you are bottle feeding this puppy then yes, there is cause for concern. Puppies can be born with cleft palates, meaning that the soft palate (roof of the mouth) did not properly fuse. Penelope should be checked immediately by a vet to verify that the palate is intact, and if it isn't she should be fed via a tube to ensure that she isn't regurgitating the milk. Once she is a bit older, the palate can hopefully be fixed with surgery. I would have to say that clear discharge isn't normal either, and even if this isn't milk I would get it checked by a vet immediately to look for abnormalities in the palate and swallowing.

Yes, this can be dangerous as your puppy may aspirate some milk into the lungs and develop serious pneumonia as a result. Your puppy should be checked for cleft palate - sometimes a small cleft will not stop the puppy from feeding from the mum but at the same time some milk may get into the nose and lungs. I think you can check it yourself by looking at the roof of the puppy's mouth. If you are not sure how to do it, please take the puppy to your local vets.

Hello. If Dodger is eating/drinking & feeling well, then this is not an emergency, but the discharge is thick enough that I would want to have it checked out. It may just be a mild upper respiratory infection, but a foreign body, like a piece of grass, is also a possibility. In such a young dog, it is most likely a mild infection, but if it continues or worsens, please have him seen by your vet next week. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, this is a very bad sign, it means he has aspirated milk into his lungs, you must take him to the vet urgently, he will need antibiotic treatment. if you are the one feeding the puppy you need to be very very careful, you need to let the puppy suckle from the feeding bottle, never press or feed with a syringe.

I would discuss with the veterinarian the possibility of brachycephalic airway syndrome. This is a disorder of breeds such as French bulldogs which can result in regular vomiting and regurgitation due to unnatural pressures within their body, as they struggle to breathe through small nostrils and a long soft palette. This syndrome can be corrected with a surgery. This is an excellent resource to cover the topic; https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/brachycephalic-airway-syndrome-in-dogs

If he is being bottle fed, the flow of milk through the nipple may be too fast. This can cause milk to go into his nose. If he has any discharge from his nose, he may have a respiratory infection. To be safe, have Troy examined by a veterinarian. Any infection in a pup this young can be very serious.

Depending on the age of the puppy, sometimes their bowel movements need to be physically stimulated with rubbing and warm compresses on the belly. Constipation can also occur in these little guys due to generalized GI issues or dehydration. If you are seeing liquid coming out of the nose, this may be an indication that milk is being inhaled, or simply an indicator that some of it isn't getting all the way down into the belly. Make sure that when you are syringe feeding that Leo is mostly upright so that the chance of aspiration into the lungs is limited. This is particularly important in an animal that is already compromised by an upper respiratory infection. If you still are unable to get Leo to produce a bowel movement by the middle or end of today, he should be seen by the vet for some assistance. Hope this helps.