Why is my new Labrador puppy breathing fast? Is it normal or too hot?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is normal for puppies to have a fast respiration rate, even at rest. As long as her gums are nice and pink and she’s not struggling to breathe she should be fine. Kisses to Iana!

This is probably normal for your puppy but if you are concerned then I would recommend having her examined by your veterinarian. It is always wise to have the heart and lungs of a new pup examined to make sure everything is as it should be. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello. It sounds like Mac is very sick. If he is breathing fast this could be trouble in his lungs, pain, toxins, or many other concerns. I would get him to a veterinarian right away as any breathing trouble in a dog, and especially a puppy, is a very big concern. He could have heat stroke, could have ingested a toxin, could have had a trauma (if he goes out unsupervised), could have severe abdominal pain or gastritis. I hope he feels better soon.

Hi. This could be normal, especially if dreaming. If he is normal otherwise and breaths normal when awake, you can monitor. If he acting quiet and breathing fast awake, I would get him seen right away.

I would recommend that you have Rousey checked out by a vet. Breathing that quickly is not normal. While sleeping, she should breathe less than 20 times in a minute. Increased respiratory rate at night could indicate heart or lung disease, anemia, or pneumonia. If she has fractured ribs, she could benefit from pain medications. She should probably also be checked for intestinal parasites, which are easily picked up while hanging out on the streets.

If there are no other signs and you are not suspecting any intoxication you could monitor him at this stage for the next 2 hours and see if he settles down. If not a check up would be ideal to understand the underlying cause and treat appropriately. Unfortunately at this stage the presentation is quite generic and differentials are many.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I can understand your concerns with having a new puppy. It is likely that your new puppy is finally starting to come into his own. As your puppy grows and matures he will start to develop his personality. This can lead to higher activity levels and more playfullness. As long as he is still tail wagging, running, jumping and overall seems happy, he is likely just fine. After quick spurts of play, puppies can also have heavy breathing episodes, but it should only last for 1-5 minutes at the most. If your puppy seems like he is in respiratory distress, coughing, gasping for air, etc, then its best to have him evaluated by your vet. At that point I would suspect he may have an airway infection, underlying heart disease, or a laryngeal disorder. However, if your pupy is still playful, eating, drinking and normal acting, then he is likely just fine and is having over exerting moments of play. Just try to limit his play to no more than 20-30 minute intervals two times a day to keep him healthy. I hope this helps and best wishes with your new puppy Winter. Take care.