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Why does my puppy's chest swell when she breathes? Is it normal?

Updated on September 23, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 months and 23 days old

I adopted a puppy today, she is 12 weeks old. I started noticing that she has some odd breathing patterns, her chest swells up drastically and it eventually falls back to normal before swelling up again. She does this for a short period of time before she returns to normal breathing patterns. I'd like to know if this is cause for any concern or medical attention.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 13, 2019

It's really difficult to know without being able to watch Stormi breathe in person. Dogs, especially puppies, can have erratic breathing patterns that are nothing to worry about, but puppies can also have pneumonia or other problems that would cause difficulty breathing. If Stormi seems fine in every other way (eating normally, normal activity level) it's probably okay to make an appointment with your regular veterinarian for an exam to establish care and to make sure this is nothing to be concerned about. If she seems sick, if she seems to be struggling to breathe, or if she is unable to sleep or rest comfortably you should see an emergency vet.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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