Why does my puppy's stomach feel like it's popping when I touch it?

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!

Hi there and thank you for your post! I would suggest getting Luci examined in person by a vet and consider getting some chest x-rays done to rule out possible causes of what you are seeing. There can be many causes of a chest looking distended. The chest could be filling with fluid of some sort, the swelling you are seeing could be under the skin such as an abscess or other type of infection, etc. Your vet can rule out a lot with an exam and x-rays alone. Hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have.

There are many different structures in the abdomen which can sometimes be palpated, including the spleen, instestines, bladder, and kidneys. Without feeling your dog with our own hands while you are showing us the area, it is difficult to say what exactly you are feeling. You can look at the images on this site to see the anatomy of the dog: https://www.petcoach.co/article/anatomy-function-of-the-esophagus-stomach-intestines-in-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/urinary-system-in-mammals-anatomy-and-function/

If he is having abdominal pain then he really should be examined by a vet to determine he cause. He could have an infection, pancreatitis, kidney disease, liver disease, etc and your vet can run labeork and take an X-ray to help diagnose. Hope he feels better soon.

Hi and thank you for reaching out to pet coach about Peanut. If Peanut has just eaten a large amount of food within the past 1-2 hours his stomach may feel hard because it is full of food. This is normal. If it is his entire abdomen that is hard, it may be also painful. And this can be caused by inflammatory diseases or other problems in the abdomen that can be serious. If Peanut is eating and drinking well, not having any vomiting or diarrhea, and seems comfortable tonight (can lay down on his abdomen without shifting positions or crying out in pain), than I would continue to watch him closely tonight and you may want to schedule an appt. with his veterinarian tomorrow if he is not any better. He may feel completely normal by tomorrow. However, if he has not eaten, seems lethargic, and/or is having vomiting or diarrhea I recommend that you get him to a doctor to have him examined and determine the cause of this problem either just by physical exam and/or X-rays. Best of luck to Peanut.

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.

If she is acting normal otherwise than it might just be that her stomach is full from the feeding. She could also have a parasite causing her stomach to be enlarged. Have a vet take a look at her to determine if she needs treatment. She may need to be dewormed with a broad spectrum dewormer.