My puppy is weak, breathing fast, and bloated. Should I worry?

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!

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.

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!

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.

Please understand that we can only give you so much information via the internet without examining Coco ourselves. I can tell you that based on the photos her abdominal distention looks very severe. I don't think this is related to parasites but it could be. I would be worried about ascites (or free fluid in the abdomen). You should get her to a vet as soon as you can for an exam and either an x-ray or ultrasound.

I'm very sorry this puppy is so sick! Newborn puppies are extremely fragile, and when they are sick, they have to see a vet immediately. She needs medical treatment from a vet right away for her best chance of survival, and I would take her into one now.

I am very sorry to hear that you are having these concerning issues with Mambo. From the clinical signs you are describing; distended abodmen, coughing, changes to breathing patterns and lethargy I would be concerned about a potential heart condition. Heart disease can cause the heart to stop pumping blood around the body effectively. This then causes fluids to accumulate in the tissues such as the lungs and the abdomen. This could explain the bloated abdomen and the coughing. I would advise taking Mambo into the veterinarian as soon as you can. Fluid on the lungs can be a life threatening emergency. A veterinarian would be able to listen to Mambo's heart and lunch sounds during an examination and tell you if there is fluid build-up or a heart problem. I hope that is a helpful answer and that Mambo receives the medical care he needs soon. Sending my absolute best wishes to you both.