My puppy's bloated belly sounds hollow. When should I see a vet?

It definitely does look bloated. It could be from eating a large meal or from intestinal parasites (worms). I would have your vet take a look a him. They will likely want to do a fecal on him to check for worms and if needed, they will deworm him. I hope this helps!

If the distension has been there for a few days than she should be examined by your vet to determine the cause. She could have an infection, hernia, or mass and your vet can do an examination and take an x-ray to help diagnose and determine if treatment is needed.

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.

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.

As long as she is acting ok you could monitor her for additional signs. If she starts retching, seems uncomfortable, starts drooling, is painful, or the distension persists then she should be examined by a vet. Your vet can take an X-ray to evaluate her abdomen and determine the exact cause of her problem.

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

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Puppies tend to have a more bloated belly. Intestinal parasites are usually the main cause of this. Sometimes the intestines are more gassy in puppies too. I would give the dewormer some more time. If there is no improvement by a week i would have her examined and bring a stool sample with you. Sometimes changing puppy food can help as well. She is due for vaccinations so a Vet exam should be happening soon anyway. Good luck!