Is my 2-week-old puppy's squeaky breathing and pot belly normal?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It isn't unusual for puppies this young to have a big belly after eating. I would make the meals smaller and feed him more frequently. You are also correct that he likely has intestinal parasites, deworming him will help but it will take time. If his stomach enlarges enough it can put pressure on the diaphragm and change breathing patterns. That's why I would feed small meals frequently for a while. Otherwise puppies do breath faster than adults, especially when sleeping. Since he is otherwise doing well I would just watch him closely and follow your vet's vaccination and deworming schedule. Good luck!

It can be normal to twitch in their sleep. Puppies and dogs dream, and she may be reacting to the dreams. My own dog sometimes barks in her sleep. As for the pot belly, she may have intestinal worms which is common in puppies. That would cause a pot belly. Have her seen by the vet to get a deworming treatment. Her stool sounds ok. I hope this helps!

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.

It could be that Mighty is suffering from intestinal worms which are common in puppies and would give a bloated appearance to the stomach. I would give him a deworming treatment now, and another in two weeks to kill all the worms. He should then be dewormed monthly until he is six months of age, and should be dewormed every three months thereafter. As for breathing quickly when trying to sleep, this can be normal and I wouldn't be concerned about it unless he's breathing quickly all the time. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you are noticing an increased respiratory rate and her belly becoming larger, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having x-rays done to help determine what the cause of these symptoms could be. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, Puppies can have what we call a "pot belly". In many puppies the pot belly appearance noticeable after a meal but it will decrease in size after a couple of hours. In cases where the pot belly persist in puppies and does not decrease in size we consider the most common cause is heavy worm infestation which will require to have your puppy to have a series of de-worming treatment at 2 weeks intervals at least twice (with heavy infestation I will recommend more than twice). Other cause of distended abdomen is fluid built up (ascites) which warrant a veterinary investigation. I would suggest to start immediately with treatment using a de-wormer recommended by your vet. Good Luck

If her breathing is normal and gums are normal pink, then there is a good chance this is just a worm overload. Sometimes it takes 2 treatments done 2 weeks apart to get rid of worms in young puppies. Ascites would almost always cause a pet to be lethargic and act ill. As long as her energy is good and everything else is fine, it is ok to monitor her for now and have your vet check her for parasites when they get back out of town. If she seems ill at any point, then its best to take her to another local vet for a check up. Best of luck with your young puppy Lady Jane moving forward. Take care. : )