My puppy choked on milk. Is pneumonia a risk for my 2-week-old?

Inhalation of even a small amount of milk in a tiny little puppy like this can be deadly if treatment is not instituted right away. Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most common causes of death in bottle babies. If you are noting significant coughing / choking, I would also keep an eye out for increased respiratory noises. This would include wheezing and raspy hoarse noises. If you hear this, it would probably be a good idea to stop feeding until you get him to the vet. At that point, the doctor will decide if providing additional nutrition orally is worth the risk, versus injectable nutrition. Hope this is help.

Hello there, Unfortunately, this sounds like he may have aspirated milk which can quickly lead to pneumonia in a pup this young. I would monitor Carter and his temperature very carefully (99.5-102.0 is normal) for signs of infection which include lethargy, weakness, labored breathing, and decreased appetite. If this occurs, I'd recommend getting Carter to the closest emergency veterinarian as soon as possible. At his young age and size, he can become dehydrated and very ill very quickly. Here are links from a website I trust. The first is on hand rearing pups, the second is on pneumonia. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951456 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952113 I hope this helps. I wish you and Carter the best of luck.

Yes, this can be dangerous as your puppy may aspirate some milk into the lungs and develop serious pneumonia as a result. Your puppy should be checked for cleft palate - sometimes a small cleft will not stop the puppy from feeding from the mum but at the same time some milk may get into the nose and lungs. I think you can check it yourself by looking at the roof of the puppy's mouth. If you are not sure how to do it, please take the puppy to your local vets.

Hello. Yes, aspiration pneumonia would show up immediately with coughing, gagging & a very high respiratory rate. I only mentioned this to you yesterday because of the danger of inducing vomiting in a potentially choking dog. You said that Precious was fine, so I was not worried. Just wanted to caution you about doing this again. So do not worry if she is fine now & I am sorry if I worried you. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I wouldn't worry if it was just one-time, however I would monitor the puppies for any additional coughs or signs of respiratory issues (heavy breathing, vomiting, not wanting to eat or drink, turning pale/blue, etc) If the coughing happens again, or you are seeing other signs of illness, a vet visit right away is best.

Yes, it is quite possible the pneumonia has not resolved. She needs urgent reassessment by a vet and further medication, possibly intravenous fluids and antibiotics in order to stabilise her condition. Such severe pneumonia in a young pup is very concerning and can be fatal due to lung scarring and collapse. It is possible there may be underlying birth defects contributing to the original condition and/or her poor response to treatment

Yes, this is a very bad sign, it means he has aspirated milk into his lungs, you must take him to the vet urgently, he will need antibiotic treatment. if you are the one feeding the puppy you need to be very very careful, you need to let the puppy suckle from the feeding bottle, never press or feed with a syringe.