Why is my puppy's side swollen, hard, and making him whiny?

Not eating for 3 days is serious for a puppy. They are not able to regulate blood sugar like an adult and they don't have the same reserves either. The swollen belly could be related and could indicate parasites, a blockage, an infection or a heart condition. I recommend to have your puppy examined today by the veterinarian. Bring in a stool sample to the appointment. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Enlarged, hard belly often results from eating too much and too quickly. In this case, the belly all of the sudden gets big, about 20-40 minutes after eating. As long as your Ziggy is comfortable, not crying and his energy level is normal you just need to monitor him at home. The mild bloat should get better in 4-6 hrs time. Chronic abdominal distention in puppies in most cases is related to gastrointestinal worms. If Ziggy has not been de-wormed yet, please do it as soon as possible. You can buy worming medications at the vets but also in pet shops and online - you can get them over-the-counter.

Hello, that looks like it could either be a local reaction to something like a bug bite. Other causes such as sterile abscess or cyst from a hair follicle or skin glands can also cause this. If it is painful or is continues to grow in the next couple of hours then I would have it evaluated by a veterinarian today. Otherwise, you can apply an ice pack or bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin cloth over the area to see if the swelling decreases. If if doesn't or if is worse by the morning then you should have it assessed by you veterinarian tomorrow. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Awww, she’s a cutie!! If she’s still acting normally... seems comfortable, is energetic and ready to play if prompted, and hasn’t seemed nauseated or like she’s trying to vomit, I would just give her some time. She may have eaten really quickly and have some gas buildup or something of that nature. If she starts retching like she wants to vomit, or if she seems very dumpy and lethargic, take her to the vet. You can check her heart rate as well. Her heart rate at rest should not be faster than 130 beats per minute. If it is faster than that when she seems calm, take her in. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If your puppy is acting completely normal, then I'd have a fecal sample checked to make sure Sutty doesn't have intestinal parasites. If Sutty is acting sick in any way (lethargic, decreased appetite, vomiting, etc), then a distended abdomen is an emergency and you should go directly to the vet.

This could be an edema which is basically a build up of fluids under the skin, this could happen due to an allergic reaction for example, this could also happen due to a trauma in this area. i would strongly recommend having it checked by your vet ASAP.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ozzy is so cute! One thing that comes to mind right away is if any dewormings have been performed. Puppies get infected with intestinal parasites from their mother before birth and while nursing. Deworming of puppies should be done as early as 2 weeks of age and should be done every 3 weeks for at least 3-4 dewormings. This is usually why puppies have pot bellies. I hope this helps. Seems like everything else is looking good. Good luck with cute Ozzy.