Should I worry if my dog breathes from his stomach when resting?

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Noushi. If she only breathes hard like this after hard play, this is not a cause of concern. An increased respiratory rate or panting (open mouth breathing) is worrisome if it occurs while she is resting with no recent history of exercise. I hope this information helps!

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.

It's definitely possible that he could have some intolerance of this meal. The most common problems to happen are vomiting, or diarrhea. This is usually something that resolves within three days. Pancreatitis and bloat are possibilities, but bloat is not associated with having a rich meal like this. Bloat would cause him to have labored breathing and would be concerning if all he wants to do is lay down. If that's the case, then I would recommend a visit to the vet as soon as possible. If Cedar is still able to walk around and acts somewhat normal, then I would not be too concerned about bloat. For now, it's best to make sure he has plenty of water and let his stomach rest over night. Feed a little less for his morning meal tomorrow and don't feed him if he is vomiting. I hope that helps and all is well with Cedar.

The increased respiratory rate could be from him dissipating heat but it could also be pathological. I cannot tell you for sure just based on your description. I suggest you take a video of him breathing heavy at rest and then take him in to your vet for an examination. Show the vet the video and see what they think. The vet will take that video combined with their examination findings and let you know if it seems like his breathing is normal or abnormal. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am so sorry that Dylan is having a hard time. You are right to be worried. At his age, I would be worried about heart failure or cancer potentially making his breathing abnormal and causing him to be restless. Pneumonia is another concern. Unfortunately there isn’t anything you can do at home to help him breathe better. You need to get him in to see a vet right away. Seek a veterinary ER now. If you don’t have an ER in your area, call your regular vet—they likely have a recording for how to reach a vet after hours.

Increased respiratory rate can have several causes, including anemia, pain, heart disease, or lung disease. If you can see the abdomen moving when she breathes, I would be very worried. I would recommend that you have Kiku examined by a vet. They may need to diagnostics such as blood work or x-rays, depending on what the exam reveals.