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Why is my heartworm positive Pomeranian having a dry cough lately?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Male | unneutered | 5 lbs

Hello I have a question. I have a 7 year old Pomeranian and he has been coughing a lot the past few days. It sounds more like a dry cough like he may have something stuck or wants to vomit but nothing happens. It sometimes happens when he is running around and he starts coughing or when he wakes up. He tested positive for heart warms and is taking antibiotics right now.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on November 28th, 2017

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.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 20th, 2017

    Hi I do not know the age of your dog because this plays a factor is the causes for coughing. Coughing can be as simple as Kennel cough, if he has been around other dogs or to a vet, groomer or dog park recently. It can also be caused a collapsing trachea, which is common in small dogs, and can vary on how serious it gets. Or it could be heart disease or cancer. I see from your location that heart worm is quite possible as well. I would take him to the vet for a heart worm test which is a quick blood test. He would be coughing if he had adult worms in him. Only your vet can determine the cause of the coughing and I would take him as soon as possible to go over treatment options for him. Good luck!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Jyothi Alagappan

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 4th, 2018

    Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, there is no classic cough for a heartworm dog. A cough can be caused by a primary pulmonary disorder like inflammation of the lungs (bronchitis) or infection in the lungs (pneumonia, kennel cough, the flu) or a parasite (heartworms). A cough can also be caused by a primary heart disorder like congestive heart failure. If your pet has not been on heartworm prevention, it is possible it can be heartworms but if your pet has been to day cares, dog parks or around other dogs, it is possible it can be an infection. I recommend visiting your veterinarian to perform a full physical exam and determine if xrays are warranted or a heartworm test. And ultimately, if any treatments are needed. Good luck!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Health & Wellness
My dog's cough returned. What causes it? Is it heartworm disease?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
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My dog has a wet cough. Is it heartworm? Should they be active?
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.
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My dog has a chronic cough from heartworm. What else can help?
Hello there! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to post your questions regarding Maxx. It looks like he is on quite the combination of medications to try and suppress the coughing. I personally do not find that the cough tabs help much. I have had great success using hydrocodone or butorphanol tablets. The albuterol is good for a bronchodilator. You might consider talking to your veterinarian about using a inhaler called flovent. Fluticasone might be a better option to use. I would talk to your veterinarian about these other options and see if this would work best for Maxx. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available to talk with via text or phone using the consultation service
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My Pomeranian dog coughs, vomits blood for months. What's serious?
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.
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Why does my dog cough after eating or excitement, besides heartworms?
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!
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Why is my senior Pomeranian dry coughing, worse with excitement?
I am sorry to hear that your fur baby is having some coughing that seems to get worse with excitement or exercise. It sounds like your fur baby may have an issue with her trachea (i.e. tracheal collapse) that affects small breed dogs more often and causes coughing during excessive play. This can be easily diagnosed with an x-ray and treated if the condition gets worse or impedes your pets daily activity. It can be helped with medications prescribed by your vet in most cases, so its best to schedule an appt soon. Here is more information on the condition I believe your pet Baby girl has --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951968 Other possible causes for this are an underlying lung condition, or an airway infection. Best wishes with your fur baby and I hope that she feels better soon! Take care.
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Why is my dog coughing blood and acting lethargic? What's wrong?
It definitely sounds like Midnight should be seen by a veterinarian sometime soon. As long as he isn't in overt respiratory distress, this doesn't have to be tonight. I would plan on getting him there early this week, however. Based on all the clinical signs you have described, I would suspect there is either some sort of primary respiratory disease such as an infection or cancerous process occurring, or a cardiac condition. Heartworm certainly can not be ruled out as a possibility either. All of the above mentioned conditions can be mostly ruled in or out via a chest x ray. Blood work to go along with this will be able to determine if Heart worm is or is not probable. I hope you are able to figure out what is happening with Midnight.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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