Why is my 5-week-old puppy's stomach bloated, yet she's active?

If her breathing is normal and gums are normal pink, then there is a good chance this is just a worm overload. Sometimes it takes 2 treatments done 2 weeks apart to get rid of worms in young puppies. Ascites would almost always cause a pet to be lethargic and act ill. As long as her energy is good and everything else is fine, it is ok to monitor her for now and have your vet check her for parasites when they get back out of town. If she seems ill at any point, then its best to take her to another local vet for a check up. Best of luck with your young puppy Lady Jane moving forward. Take care. : )

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.

I recommend you have him rechecked by a vet as soon as possible - although you do not mention his age or breed a 5ml feed of liquids should not cause bloating in a 5week old pup and it is vital he receive nutrition immediately in order to grow and develop. Contact the bluecross centre also to see if they have had any similar issues with his siblings

The most common signs of bloat are retching without bringing up any material and restlessness. Bloat is a broad term for both a simple gas or food distension of the stomach or a GDV (gastric dilation volvulus) where the stomach gets filled with air and twists on itself so that the stomach contents cannot be emptied. I highly doubt that your 6 week old puppy is experiencing a bloat at such a young age. More common causes of a round and more firm abdomen include a parasite infestation or simply a full stomach after eating. Drinking excessive amounts of water can indicate urinary tract diseases (infection, crystals, etc.), or could be a variation of normal as she is growing. If she also begins urinating large volumes frequently or you observe any blood in her urine, take her to the vet for an exam and urinalysis. If your puppy is lethargic or trying to vomit or retch, certainly speak with her vet immediately. Otherwise, determine how much food she should be eating by examining the chart on her bag of dog food and divide this quantity into 4 smaller meals throughout the day so she is less likely to overeat at any point. Speak with your vet about having a stool sample analyzed for the presence of parasites. Make sure she has been dewormed several times. Products, such as Panacur, are available over the counter from most pet stores and provide broad spectrum deworming, even in puppies as young as 2 weeks old.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Puppies tend to have a more bloated belly. Intestinal parasites are usually the main cause of this. Sometimes the intestines are more gassy in puppies too. I would give the dewormer some more time. If there is no improvement by a week i would have her examined and bring a stool sample with you. Sometimes changing puppy food can help as well. She is due for vaccinations so a Vet exam should be happening soon anyway. Good luck!

Hi there! Ali is a very cute pup :) From what you describe, I'm not hearing anything that sounds particularly abnormal. Many young puppies will have a noticeably round, firm belly after eating - this is because they don't have much abdominal muscle or fat yet, so you often notice visual changes like this when they are "full" from a recent meal. Intestinal parasites can sometimes contribute to a rounded belly in puppies, so I would recommend having your vet do a fecal exam to check for this problem. As long as her poop seems to be a normal consistency (not overly hard, or diarrhea) and she doesn't seem painful or uncomfortable when she goes to the bathroom, I wouldn't worry too much about whether she poops in one large piece or several smaller pieces. Since you mentioned that she has not had any vaccines yet, I would recommend taking her to the vet as soon as you can to have her vaccinated, as she is at risk of getting serious diseases like parvo and distemper.

This presentation is very likely due to worms, which are causing the bloat. With appropriate medications the worms will die (you will find them in the feces dead or still alive) and the bloat will progressively disappear. Mild constipation will resolve as well when parasite infestation resolves.