Why is my young puppy's stomach hard and bloated after eating?

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.

8 week old puppies, even large breed ones, have pretty tiny stomachs, and they also have poor abdominal musculature development at this stage. Those 2 factors can cause you to really be able to see their abdomen bulging when the stomach is full or water or food. So that might be one reason you're seeing this. The other reason could be that Mishka has intestinal parasites. They are very common in young puppies, so if she hasn't been dewormed, this should be done, at least twice (3 - 4 weeks apart). It's also a good idea to have your vet check a stool sample. You can buy dewormer over the counter in most pet stores; follow the directions on the package.

I would recommend a vet check to determine if there are nay underlying medical causes but the fact she eats well is a good sign. Monitor for regular stools and no pain or vomiting and ensure she is dewormed regularly with an appropriate puppy wormer (every 2-4 weeks depending on the product). Keep her isolated from other dogs (especially dog parks etc) until she is fully up to date with her vaccines

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!

The most common signs of bloat are retching without bringing up any material and restlessness. Bloat is a broad term for both a simple gas or food distension of the stomach or a GDV (gastric dilation volvulus) where the stomach gets filled with air and twists on itself so that the stomach contents cannot be emptied. I highly doubt that your 6 week old puppy is experiencing a bloat at such a young age. More common causes of a round and more firm abdomen include a parasite infestation or simply a full stomach after eating. Drinking excessive amounts of water can indicate urinary tract diseases (infection, crystals, etc.), or could be a variation of normal as she is growing. If she also begins urinating large volumes frequently or you observe any blood in her urine, take her to the vet for an exam and urinalysis. If your puppy is lethargic or trying to vomit or retch, certainly speak with her vet immediately. Otherwise, determine how much food she should be eating by examining the chart on her bag of dog food and divide this quantity into 4 smaller meals throughout the day so she is less likely to overeat at any point. Speak with your vet about having a stool sample analyzed for the presence of parasites. Make sure she has been dewormed several times. Products, such as Panacur, are available over the counter from most pet stores and provide broad spectrum deworming, even in puppies as young as 2 weeks old.

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.

It sounds like Diesel is doing well, but puppies with large bellies can often have intestinal parasites. They are very common in puppies. I would have him checked out by your vet for his puppy shots, and they will likely want to check a stool sample for parasites and potentially prescribe a dewormer.