5 month old walker/bluetick puppy is bloated

by Derek
(Oklahoma)

We have had the dog wormed and are only feeding him complete nutrition dog food, yet he is still extremely bloated. Besides worms, what else could be wrong?

He eats only 1 to 2 bowls of food daily so it's unlikely it's fat. The bloated area isn't hard but it's soft almost as if he has just water in stomach.

What is the problem and how can i fix it?





Hi Derek
The most common reason for a bloated tummy in puppies is worms, and although you have dewormed your pup it's possible there is still a problem.

Generally you need to treat a puppy three times (at 2 - 3 week intervals as recommended by your veterinarian) in order to be fairly certain that he is worm-free. Also, it's important to know what worms you're treating for and your vet can take a fecal sample and prescribe the right dewormer. Using over-the-counter products is generally not very effective and they can have unwanted side effects.

My Puppy Worms page has all the information and advice you need when it comes to these nasty little parasites.

If your pup has been repeatedly dewormed by your veterinarian and he still has a distended belly, it's possible that it's just his shape right now, some puppies have a big belly for quite a while. Also, he's at that 'tween' stage where he'll be a bit awkward and out-of-proportion in terms of his limbs and so on, this can make a round tummy look bigger.

As his belly isn't hard or causing him any discomfort, I wouldn't worry about it greatly unless it's very noticeable, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to discuss your concerns with your own veterinarian just to make sure there's no underlying health issue.

I hope this helps a bit and wish you the best of luck with your pup.