Dog coughing, low energy, on Frontline. Worried about mosquitoes?

I would be concerned about these signs even if they are related to heartworm disease, and would not consider this type of coughing as typical for a dog recovering from heartworm. If she seems to be having trouble breathing you should seek emergency veterinary care. A chest x-ray might be recommended depending on how Tess's chest sounds on physical exam.

I am sorry to hear that your dog is coughing. There are so many reasons for chronic cough such as allergic bronchitis, pulmonary hypertension, heartworm disease, enlarged heart, fungal infection, parasites, and cancer. To answer your question heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes only and can not pass through people. Also, there is no answer to how long it takes for a cough to resolve. It completely depends on what is causing the cough. I would highly encourage you to consider a follow up appointment with your veterinarian soon. X-rays, bloodwork, and a fecal exam may be recommended to help determine the diagnosis and best treatment plan. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Heart worm disease is transmitted by mosquitos. This is by far the biggest concern for diseases spread by mosquitos that we see in dogs. Dogs are quite resistant to developing disease from west nile virus, so while they can technically become infected, they don't get sick. Dogs do not get malaria from mosquitos. There is another form of malaria that affects dogs that is spread by ticks. Ticks can also transmit a number of other diseases to dogs, including lyme disease, and many other diseases. Here is a website with a lot of great information on what diseases your pets can get from mosquitos and ticks: http://www.cvbd.org/en/mosquito-borne-diseases/ Talk to your veterinarian about a monthly heart worm prevention, as well as flea/tick control measures. These are important parts of your pet's healthcare! I hope that helps you! thanks for asking PetCoach!

You are quite welcome for the help! Unfortunately, the flea, tick, and worm medication does not protect against heartworms, that requires a different medication. Signs of heartworm include a dry cough, lethargy, weight loss, anorexia, difficulty breathing, bulging chest, and collapse. Your vet can do a blood test to diagnose if she does have heartworm or not. Have a great day :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Florida has a terrible flea problem and there are many pets that need multiple kinds of flea preventions a month. Plain Frontline may not be strong enough for Bella. If you are seeing fleas and she is scratching, it is likely from the fleas, but I cannot guarantee she didn't pick up something else. I would discuss with a veterinarian there what preventions they recommend for that area. She may need a topical and an oral prevention which you can purchase from a veterinary office. Just as a reminder, flea baths and flea collars do not work, so don't waste your money. Good luck and kisses to Bella!

Lethargy is a very general sign of illness in dogs, and can be caused by systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. Lethargy isn't a side effect of Frontline, so I'm suspecting that it may be to to a medical illness. As long as Scout is eating and drinking normally as well as going to the bathroom normally, I would keep an eye on her for now. Should she still be lethargic in 48 hours, then I would be concerned and take her into the vet for an exam. If she stops eating and drinking, and develops other signs such as vomiting or diarrhea, then I would take her into a vet right away. I hope this helps!

Hello, there are multiple causes for a cough like the one you are describing. One potential cause may include heartworm disease, however, this can be checked with a snap test. If it returns positive for heartworm, then there are medications you can try at home to treat this disease. Other causes may include heart disease and lung disease. Some primary lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia can cause this. To fully explore this causes for your dog's cough, he may need x-rays, a cardiology consultation, and a heart worm test. The other cause in smaller dogs include a collapsing trachea. Ideally your coughing dog should not live an fast or active lifestyle to prevent exacerbation of her cough and from her going into respiratory distress. Please see your veterinarian soon if your dog continues to cough. Hope this helps and best of luck.