Signs Your Pomeranian is having Trouble Breathing?

Lately I’ve been getting some questions concerning if your Pomeranian is having trouble breathing and what you should do. Most of the time Pomeranians look like there breathing hard but because they are an “excitable” dog, they tend to breath hard or very fast. This should not be mistaken that for “labored” breathing… which is difficulty breathing. Both my furry babies Mika and Luka used to have a really hard time with reverse sneezing and it would look like something awful but was really nothing to worry about. I wrote this to help you as a Pommy Mommy distinguish between what is serious and what is not… and I included a video at the bottom for you to watch.

If you suspect that your Pomeranian is having trouble breathing, don’t panic but definitely monitor it because breathing problems can become serious very fast. I would absolutely recommend that you take your Pom to the Vet as soon as the breathing problem looks more serious than heavy panting.

There are two terms that you should be familiar with when it comes to breathing problems that concern your Pomeranian. 1. Dyspnoea, which just means “labored breathing” or difficulty breathing. 2. Tachypnea, which means extremely fast breathing

Signs that your Pomeranian is having trouble breathing

• You may see both the belly and chest moving at the same time as your Pom takes a breath
• Your Poms nostril may be flaring
• You may witness your Pomeranian breathing with an open mouth
• Your Pom may be breathing while what looks like a football stance (with elbows out to the side)
• Raspy breathing
• you Pom may be breathing very fast
• Weird sounding or very hallow breathss
• Coughing, hacking or choking sounds

What may be causing my Pomeranian’s breathing difficulties?

There may be various reasons your Pomeranian may have trouble breathing. They may include:

• An Infection (bacterial, viral, parasitic)
• Recent trauma
• Bleeding
• Ingestion of foreign objects
• Symptoms of heart failure or heart problems
• Anemia
• Some allergies
• Acute Pain
• Fever
• Diseases that make the belly enlarged or bloated (such as enlarged liver, stomach filled with air (bloat) or fluid in the belly)
• Some medications
• Tumors

What happens when you bring your Pomeranian to the Vet

Your Vet most likely will ask you several questions about your Pom’s health about your dog’s health, When the signs of the breathing problems began and probable causes of why this may be happening… did your Pomeranian do something, eat something, play around something the he could have eaten, swallowed or fell from? Most Vets will take out their stethoscope and listen for any abnormalities in your Pom’s chest, such as heart murmurs or fluid in the lungs. Then they will check your furry baby’s gums to make sure that oxygen is flowing and being delivered efficiently to all the organs of his little body.  This is also a good way for the Vet to check if your Pom has anemia, which is a low red blood cell count. It may be a little disturbing to you, but your Vet may press on the windpipe to get your Pom to cough and see if there is an obstruction in the throat.  In some cases that your Pomeranain may be having very severe problems breathing, either the Vet or a vet tech will whisk your Pom to the back in order to get him oxygen to to help him breathe and calm down before there is any more examining to be done.

Expect to have the Vet tell you that they will need to draw blood to test for underlying conditions, an x-ray to see if there are any obstructions, fluid build up, or broken bones that may be contributing to his breathing difficulty.

A Pomeranian with difficulty breathing is something to be taken seriously and as a Pommy Mommy it is our responsibility to make sure that we know the signs of just excitement or a very serious situation.

If your Pomeranian does show signs of an obstruction, broken bones, fluid in the lungs or any of the symptoms above, he will most likely be admitted to your Veterinarian’s Hospital to be monitored or treated until his breathing improves.

Here’s a video by Dr. Greg Martinez, DVM that shows a Pomeranian named Mariah who came in to see him having problems breathing:

Please use this blog post as a reference guide and not expert medical advice. Pommy Mommy recommends that if your Pomeranian has difficulty breathing that you seek the advice of your Veterinarian. You can check out The Top 5 Pomeranian Health Issues by clicking the link.