Why is my senior Yorkie breathing fast and has new black gums?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. I'm quite concerned about her. Her breathing rate is high for resting, and labored breathing is a medical emergency. I think you should take her into an ER vet now to get checked out. Best of luck.

You need to get Bella to a vet as soon as possible. I do not know why she is showing these symptoms as they are not specific for any one illness or disease process. This sounds very serious. If you want to give her the best chance of recovery/survival you need to get her to a vet right away. Best wishes.

Given Bella's age, my first thought on this cough is that it may be due to heart disease. That can be common in older dogs, and it would get worse over time. I would take her into the vet in the morning for a physical exam, and possibly blood work, a urinalysis, and chest x-rays. If she does have heart disease, the vet can prescribe medications for her symptoms. Unfortunately it's not curable, but it can be managed with medication. I hope this helps!

With her age I recommend letting a veterinarian listen to her lungs. It can be heart or respiratory. If she has a murmur you may want to consider taking her to a cardiologist to have her heart evaluated. If her heart sounds fine I would talk to your veterinarian about tracheal collapse or respiratory diseases. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is a quite generic but concerning sign. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal or urinary tract diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy and hyperthermia for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic. A check up is needed if lethargy lasts for more than 24hours. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the pictures, it does not appear that your dog's gums are pale. Reverse sneezing is OK and can be normal in most pets as long as it is self-limiting. Rapid breathing may indicate that she is trying to pant or cool herself off. If she seems to be exhibiting significant effort to breathe (ie, it looks like she is using her abdomen to help her breathe), this could indicate respiratory disease. I'm not sure what you mean by her stomach being swollen, but if you are worried about potentially fluid in her abdomen, this would be concerning and she should be evaluated by a veterinarian. I would continue to monitor her breathing rate and effort. If at rest she is breathing more than 40 times per minute, or if at anytime it looks like she is using her abdomen to help her breathe, she should see a veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

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!