My puppy drank too much milk, has hiccups & bloated belly. What to do?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. Some puppies are so small that their stomachs visibly distended after eating. If this is the case, her stomach should look normal again some time later. Going forward, feed her smaller more frequent meals and use puppy formula as opposed to goat milk. I hope this information helps!

If your puppy is in a lot of [pain](https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-subtle-signs-your-dog-is-in-pain) and is struggling to walk or is having breathing problems, you should take her to your vet without delay. If the belly is swollen but the puppy is not in discomfort, you may monitor her for a few hours to see how she goes. Consider smaller, more frequent [amounts of food ](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-much-to-feed-a-dog-to-meet-his-energy-needs)for the next few days instead of larger meals.

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.

Poor Cabella! You could try feeding her a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next few days to help settle her stomach. If she hasn't been dewormed recently, I would also suggest doing this as intestinal parasites are a very common cause of a bloated belly and excessive gas or loose stools in a puppy this age - you can get a broad-spectrum dewormer labeled for use in dogs, such as Strongid or Panacur, at most pet stores. Follow directions on the package label for dosing, based on Cabella's weight. If these things don't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as vomiting, acting lethargic, or not wanting to eat, I'm afraid that she will really need to see a vet as these can be signs of a more serious problem. I hope she's feeling better soon!

Bloat usually cause discomfort, abdominal pain, abdominal tension. An animal with pathologic bloat would not sleep and lay on the back quite comfortably. I don't think there is anything to be worried about at this stage. I would monitor him for the next couple of hours, but no further action is needed.

There is not much that can be done back home a part from monitor him, let him move wherever he wants to find the best and most comfortable position. Do not give him any more food and let him drink but not excessively. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It would be fine to continue to monitor Amirah for now as she will likely be ok and she will be able to pass the food without an issue. However, if she develops abdominal pain or any other concerning signs like inappetence or vomiting, I would encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!