My 9 day old puppy has a wheezing noise when he breaths and feeds..does he still have fluids in his lungs?

by Sasha
(Denver, CO)

I have a litter of 8, and they are 9 days old today. A mix of lab, border collie, and Jack Russell. I have a pup that is one of the smaller ones and I notices that he sounds like he has a nasal congestion or breathing problem. None of the other puppies sound like this.

We already lost one pup because she had lung failure I'm assuming from liquids in her lungs still. I can't take losing another pup please help. How do I clear this or see what is wrong? I already tried holding him in my hands and jolting him forward to clear the passage but it hasn't done anything.



Hi
If your pups are being nursed by their momma, getting fluid in their lungs isn't too common, and it's more likely an infection of some sort.

If the pups are being bottle fed, they do sometimes inhale, rather than swallow, the milk which can lead to pnuemonia.

Such young puppies are very vulnerable to infection, and if your pup is having difficulties I would strongly suggest that you have it examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible. He/she should be able to figure out what is going on and recommend any necessary treatment.

I know how horrible it is to lose a puppy, and how difficult it can be to hand-raise large litters. For general information and advice on dealing with new born pups, check out my New Born Puppies page.

Best of luck with these pups.