My puppy breathes hard while sleeping. Is this normal or concerning?

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.

The increased respiratory rate could be from him dissipating heat but it could also be pathological. I cannot tell you for sure just based on your description. I suggest you take a video of him breathing heavy at rest and then take him in to your vet for an examination. Show the vet the video and see what they think. The vet will take that video combined with their examination findings and let you know if it seems like his breathing is normal or abnormal. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Fast breathing, twitching, and vocalizing are all normally seen when they are sleeping and is not a concern as long as they don't do it when they are awake. If he is otherwise OK when he is awake, then no need to worry about this. He appears to be a well-cared for pup. I recommend taking him to a vet for an exam as soon as you can. The vet can scan him for a microchip (in case he's owned) and make sure he's up-to-date on vaccines and deworming. I hope that helps and all is well with Rock.

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.

Hello. It is very common for puppies to have deep, vivid dreams. There can be slight movements, strong paddling, small yips to loud yelps. It is all to develop a strong brain & it is all perfectly normal. She will be fine. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Harsh respiratory sounds are typically caused by some type of airway inflammation. Some underlying illness may be causing her to have a sore throat/nose. It is best to have her assessed by a veterinarian to make sure there are no signs of infection. If she is having difficulty breathing, I'd recommend having her assessed as soon as possible.

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.