Why is my dog coughing blood and acting lethargic? What's wrong?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Iris definitely needs to be seen by a vet right away. The cough and bloody stool can be related or unrelated. Coughing in dogs can be caused by pneumonia. upper respiratory infections, heartworm disease, or heart conditions. Bloody diarrhea can be caused by inflammatory bowel disease, viral diseases such as parvovirus, toxin ingestion, or bacterial infections. Sometimes, severe parasitic infections can cause these signs. A vet can perform a physical exam, and will likely need some further diagnostics such as bloodwork and x-rays to determine next steps and treatment. I hope all is well with Iris!

Any heart disease associated with blood clots may result in your dog coughing up blood. A heartworm infection increases the risk for pulmonary thormboembolism which may cause blood or bloody fluid to be pushed into the airways. Has he been tested for heartworm disease? Dogs with pancreatitis, some types of anemia, lung cancer, systemic bleeding, inflammatory diseases and hyperadrenocorticism will also be at an increased risk for pulmonary disorders which could cause this. Something is definitely causing him discomfort and pain. More advanced testing may be needed. Have you considered taking him to see a veterinary internal medicine specialist? I think that would be the next step. ( https://animalmedcenter.com/specialty/internal-medicine/ )

It's very likely to be something very serious such as lung cancer or advanced heartworm disease, she will need to have an xray done urgently in order to try and diagnose the condition first., you need to take her to the vet the first chance you have.

Oh no, poor Marble! It is concerning that he coughed out some blood mucous and while that can be a sign of respiratory infection, in a senior dog I would also be concerned that it could be a sign of cancer. It's best that he is seen by a vet tomorrow for a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and chest x-rays. These tests will help the vet diagnose what is causing his symptoms. Once a diagnosis is reached, the vet can discuss what treatment options are available for Marble.

This is a very real concern and you should have him assessed by a vet urgently. Infection, injury, heart and lung disease, parasites, clotting issues and foreign bodies could all be at play. A full physical and possibly chest xrays are recommended immediately

I think it may be time to consider a specialist. I'm not sure if the vet has done a recent x-ray of Mumchie's chest, but I would be concerned his symptoms could be due to heart disease. That can be common in older dogs. Seeing a specialist may give you some answers. Best of luck.

If he is heartworm positive then the coughing is likely associated with it. Heartworms live in the pulmonary artery which is what takes the blood from the heart to the lungs to get oxygen. They can cause significant decrease in the amount of blood flow as well as they are really inflammatory. Their presence makes the lungs really angry and that causes cough. In later stages the heart can be so damaged that they can go into heart failure, which can also cause cough. I would highly encourage you to schedule a follow up appointment with your veterinarian to discuss this disease and how to treat it. I would also recommend an x-ray of the chest to see how much damage has already occurred. In the meantime I would encourage you to keep him on leash and not running around where he might cause more damage. Best of luck to you and Max! I hope he recovers well! Thank you for using Pet Coach.