Why is my older dog coughing phlegm, lethargic, and breathing hard?

Hi. It sounds like he is having respiratory signs. This could be from many things such as....upper respiratory infection, cardiac disease, primary respiratory disease, cancers, or other infectious causes. With his age, he needs a full exam, labs, and chest x-rays. If he is in respiratory distress, you will want to go to the ER.

These signs could be compatible with a respiratory tract inflammation/infection or potentially could be related to heart disease. Considering the lethargy, a systemic sign, I would recommend a check up as soon as possible to determine the underlying cause and establish appropriate treatment. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

In a dog Miller's age, this cough and heavy breathing could be due to something serious like heart disease. Unfortunately, heart disease is common in old dogs, and while it cannot be cured, its symptoms can be managed with medication. I think it's really important that he sees a vet as soon as possible, so I would recommend taking him into see his vet this weekend. I hope this helps.

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.

I am sorry to hear about Hunter. I would strongly recommend an examination by your veterinarian which should include x-rays of his chest. In any older dog that is coughing we definitely want to evaluate for more serious concerns such as heart disease or tumors. We can also have infectious causes of cough including fungal disease, or we can see chronic bronchitis. Your vet can prescribe icough suppressant's and any other medications needed.

I am sorry to hear about your dog. This lesion could be an insect bite, an area of bacterial or fungal infection, or growth. Without seeing it in person it is difficult to distinguish between these. The coughing is much more concerning and I would recommend having her examined as soon as possible if she is having ongoing coughing and difficulty breathing. Some conditions, such as heart disease, can cause coughing that is worse at night when the pet is laying down, so I would want to examine her, listen to her heart and lungs, and take an x-ray of her chest to determine just why she is coughing. Heart disease is not common in a 9 month old dog, but we would also want to check for things like congenital diaphragmatic hernias which could cause problems when she is laying down, or infections of the respiratory tract.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dante. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today if he is having difficulty breathing. He may have an upper respiratory tract infection, but there are more serious causes of trouble breathing. The veterinarian will examine him and make recommendations based on these findings. For example, if the lungs or heart sound abnormal, then x-rays of the chest are typically needed. Treatment is based on these results. The mass on the chest should also be examined. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is used to diagnose a skin or subcutaneous mass. The doctor will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will tell if the mass is cancerous or not. It is unlikely though that the mass is related to his current clinical signs. I hope this information helps!