My puppy is coughing, sneezing, and walking funny. Should I worry?

Congrats on your new puppy! You didn't post a lot of information about Bella but I will help as best I can. Young puppies breathe more rapidly than older dogs, even when sleeping. If you hear any congestion or see any discharge from her eyes or nose, I would recommend having her seen by a vet. Young puppies have a weak immune system so they are susceptible to upper respiratory infections. If you need to know how to pick her up, I would recommend looping your arm under her front limbs and use your other arm to scoop behind her rear limbs, then lift. This will balance her weight evenly. If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask in a new post (please add her age, too). Otherwise, I would be happy to have a one-on-one conversation with you with a consult. Good luck and kisses to Bella!

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'm sorry to hear that Bella has been coughing so much. Coughing can be a sign of underlying heart disease (including congestive heart failure), collapsing trachea, chronic bronchitis, heartworm disease, pneumonia, among others. I strongly recommend taking her to a vet for evaluation because she will likely need chest x-rays to get to the bottom of this issue. I understand your financial concerns, but fortunately there are some resources available to help. Care Credit (carecredit.com) can provide financing options. There are also many non-profit organizations that provide financial assistance for veterinary care (redrover.org, humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962, bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets, lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/, https://getyourpet.com). I hope that all goes well for Bella!

Hello. I am sorry that Bella is unwell. This sounds serious enough that I would really encourage you to have her examined as soon as possible. Coughing & heavy breathing can be a sign of infection from bacterial or fungal sources ( pneumonia ), inflammation from chronic bronchitis, heartworm disease, or cancer. I hope you can have her seen soon so the appropriate treatment can be started. The longer you wait, the more potential for permanent lung damage to occur. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A cough could be a sign of a respiratory infection like kennel cough, or could be a sign of respiratory or heart disease. At her age I would recommend having a vet examine her for the cough to rule out anything more serious. I'm not quite sure I can picture what you mean by walking like a soldier, but if Princesa is limping, again, it would be a good idea to have her examined by your vet.

These are certainly scary and concerning symptoms. I'm sure you are very worried about Bella as am I. I would recommend that Bella be seen by a veterinarian right away as the symptoms you report could be signs of something serious like low blood sugar. She is a tiny little dog and a Yorkie as well so there are some breed related issues that can cause similar signs. Seeing a veterinarian right away will help to rule out many things and hopefully get her feeling better as soon as possible. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It sounds like she may have a mild allergy or a upper respiratory infection. With her being so small I would contact your vet for an exam and possible antibiotics. They will also be able to direct you with a appropriate anti-histamine for her size. If she hasn't already, she may also need her first set of shots since she is now 8 weeks old. Your vet will be able to also guide you in a proper booster schedule. It isn't uncommon for some puppies to have an increase in breathing while sleeping or to even twitch during sleep. They dream just like us! But I would have your vet listen to her heart and lungs to ensure everything sounds normally as well! I hope this helps!