My dog has shallow breathing and a bloated chest.

[WorriedOwner]

I have a mini pinscher, male and is 3 years old. Last 2 weeks, he started losing appetite, became weak and had fever. At the end of that week, we brought him to the vet and he was injected with antibiotics. He was also prescribed an antibacterial medicine, an antipyretic, a nutritional supplement gel and a dextrose powder. A few days after and he gained appetite and lost his fever. However, I noticed that his breathing is shallow and his abdominal muscles kept on contracting. He again lost his appetite but he never vomitted. At the end of last week, I brought him again to the vet. He was again checked and then injected with medicine for liver protection and to boost his immune system. We also bought canned dog food for dogs with no appetite. He started eating though in small amounts. Currently, I am still continuing his antibacterial medicine from his first visit and the dextrose powder as well. What is bothering me now is his  shallow breathing and his somewhat bloated chest area. The vet we visited only examined him via palpation and by looking down his throat. Tomorrow, I want to go to a vet with equipment for blood tests but I want to ask for opinion from as many vet as possible. I am not really satisfies with how my dog was examined the first two times.

[Misfits4Me]

This sounds like Pneumonia to me and it can become an emergency very quickly......Just wanted to make you aware......Karla

[tonyb286]

You are absolutely right to go to a vet that has the ability to perform in-house bloodwork. The symptoms are typical of far too many problems and conditions to second-guess without having the blood results. It sounds like your first vet made an assumption on diagnosis and is treating according to his guesswork ... but clearly there are problems and shallow-breathing is indicative of anything from gastric infection to heart problems. Press for a diagnosis and ask why the vet thinks this is the diagnosis. Any professional and competent vet will explain things fully to you, including how he arrived at the conclusion. If the vet puts your dog on medicines, ask what they are and what they should do to help.

If you remain concerned about his breathing or the condition seems to be deteriorating, please seek an emergency vet appointment at your nearest animal hospital or vet center. I hope the condition isn't serious, but you are better to be over-cautious than not. Good luck ... and do let us know how things turn out.

Tony