My dog has a cough, trouble breathing, and swollen body. What's wrong?

Cough can be caused by an infection, heart problem or lung condition, it is important to first know the cause before treating it as treatment is different from condition to another. in Tray's case it sounds a lot like a heart problem, i recommend taking him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated, an xray will be require to confirm this and several medications will be prescribed.

Your dog should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. It sounds like he may have a heart condition that is causing fluid buildup in his abdomen. This compresses the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Your dog may need to be on a diuretic to help him clear that fluid and ease his breathing. But get him in to be seen right away. Your vet will do an exam, blood work and x-rays to determine the cause and suggest an effective treatment plan.

I am very sorry to hear that you are having these concerning issues with Mambo. From the clinical signs you are describing; distended abodmen, coughing, changes to breathing patterns and lethargy I would be concerned about a potential heart condition. Heart disease can cause the heart to stop pumping blood around the body effectively. This then causes fluids to accumulate in the tissues such as the lungs and the abdomen. This could explain the bloated abdomen and the coughing. I would advise taking Mambo into the veterinarian as soon as you can. Fluid on the lungs can be a life threatening emergency. A veterinarian would be able to listen to Mambo's heart and lunch sounds during an examination and tell you if there is fluid build-up or a heart problem. I hope that is a helpful answer and that Mambo receives the medical care he needs soon. Sending my absolute best wishes to you both.

These are alarming symptoms indeed. For an older dog with coughing and lethargy, my top suspicions would be: heart disease, heartworm disease (if he is not current on heartworm prevention) primary lung cancer, pneumonia or a heart based tumor. He is at risk for all of these based on his breed. I would highly recommend taking him in to your vet for bloodwork analysis and chest radiographs to properly diagnose him based on the many possible causes stated above. Poor guy. He sounds very unstable for now and the quicker you can get him in to a vet the better. I hope that this is something you can treat for, but the odds of it being something major are high in an older large breed dog. I send you all my best in getting Casper well again. Take care and best wishes.

I'm so sorry, I am worried that Grace is very sick. Please take her to an emergency vet. If she is having trouble breathing (breathing hard), please go right away; unfortunately there isn't anything I can recommend for you to try at home. Some possible causes for what you describe include pneumonia, cancer, or heart failure. When you get to the vet, they will be able to supply oxygen to help her breathe more comfortably, and will likely recommend a chest X-ray to get an idea of what is going on so they can recommend appropriate treatment options.

Poor Bentley! Given his age, I would be concerned there could be something seriously wrong causing the symptoms such as heart disease. Heart disease can be common in senior dogs. I would take him into a vet today for a health check. If he does have heart disease, it cannot be cured but the symptoms can be medically managed. Best of luck.

Anabelle shouldn't wait until Monday to see a veterinarian. Not going to the vet may be riskier than transport if she has fluid buildup from her CHF. It may begin to affect her breathing which could make it a serious emergency. Legally, we are prohibited from recommending doses in the absence of a physical exam and a VPCR (veterinarian-patient-client relationship). If possible contact your veterinarian and ask, then medicate her as per your doctor and take her in.