Why is my 8-week pug puppy's stomach big and making him slow?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Enlarged, hard belly often results from eating too much and too quickly. In this case, the belly all of the sudden gets big, about 20-40 minutes after eating. As long as your Ziggy is comfortable, not crying and his energy level is normal you just need to monitor him at home. The mild bloat should get better in 4-6 hrs time. Chronic abdominal distention in puppies in most cases is related to gastrointestinal worms. If Ziggy has not been de-wormed yet, please do it as soon as possible. You can buy worming medications at the vets but also in pet shops and online - you can get them over-the-counter.

8 week old puppies, even large breed ones, have pretty tiny stomachs, and they also have poor abdominal musculature development at this stage. Those 2 factors can cause you to really be able to see their abdomen bulging when the stomach is full or water or food. So that might be one reason you're seeing this. The other reason could be that Mishka has intestinal parasites. They are very common in young puppies, so if she hasn't been dewormed, this should be done, at least twice (3 - 4 weeks apart). It's also a good idea to have your vet check a stool sample. You can buy dewormer over the counter in most pet stores; follow the directions on the package.

Very commonly worm infestation (gastrointestinal parasites) can affect puppies and cause the signs you are describing. Abdominal swelling is caused by the presence of the parasites, which can also cause malabsorption of nutrients, discomfort and possibly dehydration, especially if you notice soft feces/diarrhoea. A picture of him would definitively help to determine more specifically the underlying problem, but generally speaking a check up would be required for parasite treatment. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ozzy is so cute! One thing that comes to mind right away is if any dewormings have been performed. Puppies get infected with intestinal parasites from their mother before birth and while nursing. Deworming of puppies should be done as early as 2 weeks of age and should be done every 3 weeks for at least 3-4 dewormings. This is usually why puppies have pot bellies. I hope this helps. Seems like everything else is looking good. Good luck with cute Ozzy.

It sounds like Diesel is doing well, but puppies with large bellies can often have intestinal parasites. They are very common in puppies. I would have him checked out by your vet for his puppy shots, and they will likely want to check a stool sample for parasites and potentially prescribe a dewormer.

If she is acting normal otherwise than it might just be that her stomach is full from the feeding. She could also have a parasite causing her stomach to be enlarged. Have a vet take a look at her to determine if she needs treatment. She may need to be dewormed with a broad spectrum dewormer.

Gastrointestinal worms, gastrointestinal inflammation (that can cause signs like diarrhoea) are by far the most common diseases that can cause this presentation. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.