My dog had heartworm. Why is she coughing, foaming, and tired?

Any change in breathing warrants a trip to the vet for a recheck. While it’s possible that there’s nothing wrong, you could also be noticing the beginning of a complication of heartworm treatment. Pulmonary thromboembolism can occur when dying worms become lodged in the small blood vessels of the lungs. Your vet might want to take a chest x-ray.

These signs are compatible with the heartworm infection which can cause dyspnoea and respiratory signs. I would strongly advice to contact your local veterinarian as these signs might be compatible with respiratory/cardiovascular complications during heartworm treatment.

Coughing can occur from the damage the worms are doing to the lungs. It could also be caused by the worms dying off and causing inflammation, although I'm not sure how likely that is with the slow kill method. I would recommend keeping him crated and resting (no walks, no running, no excitement -- basically no getting his heart rate up) until he can get to the vet for evaluation, which will likely include chest x-rays and a discussion of if he needs anti-inflammatory medication and cage rest to get through this treatment. Wishing you and Bug (love his name!) the best of luck.

What you are describing sounds like a reverse sneeze. Typically, we are concerned with patients developing respiratory distress associated with heartworm treatment secondary to worm die off and blood clot formation. It does not sound like a that is the case here. Nonetheless, contact your veterinarian and let them know. He may need to be evaluated if the sneezing and gagging continue.

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.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Besides being due to heartworms, coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Scooby evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!