Is my new puppy breathing too fast? How do I pick her up safely?

I am worried that Bella may have pneumonia - which is fluid or infection of her lungs and has the symptoms you describe of open mouth labored breathing - running nose and less active/ crying. If she is not feeding as usual, you should take her to the emergency vet nearest to your home very quickly. They will probably recommend giving her oxygen, antibiotics and they will xray her chest to see how severe the problem is. Best of luck with Bella, I hope she does ok.

I would recommend counting Bella's respiratory rate when she is completely asleep - if she is tachypneic because of respiratory or cardiac disease it should continue during sleep. If her respiratory rate is less than 30 when she is sleeping the rapid breathing is probably behavioral. If her sleeping respiratory rate is over 30 (it is important that she is in deep sleep), or if she starts coughing or has an increase in effort when breathing you should see a vet right away.

I recommend to have Bella examined by the veterinarian. The coughing could be related to an infection. The walking funny is not expected and is a little more worrisome. Small puppies cannot regulate their blood sugar well and are prone to low blood sugar. It's best to play it safe and have Bella examined today if possible. Here are a few links which will help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-hypoglycemia-low-blood-sugar/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/getting-acquainted-for-life-bringing-home-a-new-puppy/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/vaccination-recommendations-for-puppies-puppy-shots/ Congratulations on adding Bella to your family.

Some smoke may still linger in your room so make sure to air out the room as frequently as possible and clean all the surfaces (including walls, drapes, blinds) to help get out any residual smell/smoke. Replacing the rugs may also help. A HEPA air filter may also help a lot because it cleans the air of fine particles very well. Breathing rapidly can be a sign of dreaming but without being able to examine Ruby, it's hard to know if there is pathology. Ruby will need to be examined, started on vaccines and treated for parasites by the veterinarian and this should begin between 6-8 weeks of age. I recommend to record one of these episodes on a video. Bring up this concern to the veterinarian who will watch the video and take a good listen to Ruby's heart and lungs. This will give you a much better idea of normal vs pathology. Congrats on adding Ruby to your family and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bella. This seems very odd to me and I would advise consulting your veterinarian regarding this behavior. This could be normal for her but definitely not normal for puppies. It's possible she has a respiratory problem due to her breed that is forcing this kind of posture when she sleeps. I would have one question but you can't answer it here in this forum. Is she completely normal otherwise or does she hold her head in this position at other times? If that's the case, I would wonder about a possible neck problem or even a neurologic problem. Your veterinarian can take a history and perform an examination to assess Bella. If warranted, possible tests could include x-rays or other tests. Good luck

Congratulations on your new puppy Freddie! The best time to count the respiratory rate is when they are resting and not stimulated. Normal resting respiratory rate for puppies is roughly 15-30 breathes per minute. When he is stimulated, it will be higher. If you are noticing anything worrisome, make an appointment with the veterinarian for an exam. You can also record a video of him breathing during the times of concern so your doctor can how he looks. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!