Should I worry if my 8-week-old puppy pants fast when trying to sleep?

8 weeks is the time for a first puppy exam and having the first course of puppy vaccinations. Looking a bit bloated is a possible sign or intestinal parasites (all puppies have them) and therefore it is also time to worm your puppy. When you take him to your vet for first shots, he will worm the puppy as well.

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

If there are no other signs and you are not suspecting any intoxication you could monitor him at this stage for the next 2 hours and see if he settles down. If not a check up would be ideal to understand the underlying cause and treat appropriately. Unfortunately at this stage the presentation is quite generic and differentials are many.

Puppies do breathe a bit faster while asleep than adult dogs. An occasional sneeze or nasal drip is fine. Monitor for lethargy, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing or a yellow or green nasal discharge. See your veterinarian for an exam if any of these symptoms develop.

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.

Puppies breathe faster than adult dogs, up to 38 breaths /minute. You should get some wormer and worm your puppy. Round worms and other worms can cause puppies to get somewhat anemic, so their breathing rate can go up. Also pain (tummy ache from the worms) can cause an increased rate.