Is my Shih Tzu's heavy breathing and snoring normal? When to worry?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. In Shih Tzus, their breathing is noisy to begin with so sometimes it can be difficult to know if it is a normal sound or abnormal. If there is nasal discharge and eye discharge, it is likely an upper respiratory infection. If the sound is new but there is no nasal discharge or eye discharge, it may be allergies or may be something else. If this is a new sound then I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Chania so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps!

Poor girl. She is a cutie. Her nares do look quite small and this can certainly cause breathing issues constantly but gasping in her sleep is a bit exaggerated and definitely worth a look. The vet needs to make sure she isn’t developing an upper airway infection and also make sure that she isn’t developing some kind of heart issue. I hope that your pet Bella does well moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

Harsh respiratory sounds are typically caused by some type of airway inflammation. Some underlying illness may be causing her to have a sore throat/nose. It is best to have her assessed by a veterinarian to make sure there are no signs of infection. If she is having difficulty breathing, I'd recommend having her assessed as soon as possible.

I am afraid that is not normal. Considering that Snoopy is almost 16 years old my first thought here is that he needs his heart examined by your veterinarian. There is a condition almost every old dog gets, some worse than others, called endocardiosis. THis is a condition where the lips of the heart valves develop little nodules which then keeps the valves from closing properly and then the oxygenated blood is not effectively pumped into the rest of the body. This makes for a weak heart action and causes pulmonary edema, ie fluid in the lungs. The fluid in the lungs make breathing a chore (therefore a high respiration rate), and causes a moist cough when the dog is resting. Your dog also will not have as much energy as usual and slows down significantly. This can be significantly improved by giving diuretics and a heart medication that improved the output of the heart. Of course it is also possible that he has kennel cough or another respiratory condition. So I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam soon.

No, this is not normal and may indicate she is having trouble moving enough air and oxygen around. I strongly recommend you contact your vets office and advise them of her progress, it is likely she requires additional treatment in order to stabilise her condition and may require a blood transfusion if very severely anemic

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very common for Shih tzus to have small nasal openings. Sometimes they grow as the puppy grows and sometimes they need cosmetic surgery to open the nostrils. This typically causes a lot of sneezing. I would worry the coughing could be something else, like Kennel Cough. I recommend discussing this with Coco's vet so they can see the size of her nose and listen to her lungs. Good luck and kisses to your new baby!

If Bruno is unable to breathe, gasping for air, choking, or his gums/tongue or turning blue or pale, this is a medical emergency and care should be sought at your local vet or ER vet ASAP. Some breeds of dog may snore more often, or have trouble breathing. Problems such as asthma, sinus issues, illness, structural problems of the nose or sinuses, etc can all cause difficulty breathing. If this is happening repeatedly, scheduling a veterinary exam is best to rule out any more serious causes and get Bruno some relief.