Why does my dog with liver issues have a terrible, persistent cough?

Scruffy's cough could be due to a number of underlying conditions, including a collapsing trachea, chronic bronchitis, kennel cough (unlikely if he has not been near other dogs in the past 2 weeks), heartworm disease, heart disease, pneumonia, among others. Scruffy should go to the vet at this point, particularly since his cough is getting worse. The vet will perform an exam and may need to take chest x-rays to get to the bottom of this issue so that the best course of treatment can be started. I hope that all goes well!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor Scottie! He could have a respiratory infection, kennel cough, or heart disease causing his coughing. I would rest him tonight, keep him warm and comfortable, and bring him into the vet first thing the morning. The vet can diagnose what is causing the cough, and can treat him. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor guy! is your pet a dog or a cat? What breed and how old? It is helpful to know a bit more. If he has been on TWO antibiotics and zyrtec since May and it has returned while on these medications I would have him rechecked by your Vet. I would want a chest X-ray and consider doing different medications based on the recheck exam and X-rays. There are many reason for a cough: genetic condition where the trachea collapses, larygneal disease, allergies, heart worm disease, other parasites, allergic disease that needs steroids, cancer, heart enlargement or heart failure. I wish you the best!

I always think a cough is worth evaluating. Some reasons are more benign than others, but it is always a good idea to know why your dog is coughing so you can be aware of how it may progress and prevent future problems. The first step is to have your veterinarian examine Scooter and take x-rays of his chest. That will evaluate his trachea for tracheal collapse (https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1527), his lungs for evidence of bronchitis (https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3151), his heart for evidence of heart disease, as well as a number of other conditions. Each of those diseases has different treatments and potential complications, so we want to know what to expect in the future if Scooter has any of those diseases. And sometimes treatment will really help them feel better even if you think his lack of activity is normal for him, it may be due to his cough, so treating it may be very beneficial. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Precious! There are many reasons for coughing: kennel cough, allergies, pneumonia, heart failure or cancer. Since it has only been a few days it is ok to give her more time. Kennel cough takes 2 weeks to resolve. If the cough worsens or hasn’t resolved in 2 weeks then I recommend a recheck and chest X-rays. I wish you the best!

Poor guy. I would first be inclined to ask for chest radiographs to be taken to look for internal causes for the cough such as bronchitis, heart disease or primary lung disease. I am not sure what kind of medication he was placed on, but for most coughs we typically will try an antibiotic first if it seems to be infectious and then go with more diagnostics if things don’t improve. I would also ask the vet to check for any abnormal lung or heart sounds on physical exam. I hope that you can get to the bottom of Pretty boys cough soon! That is a long time to have a cough, is hopefully he can stabilize soon. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. In a young dog like him, something like kennel cough needs to be considered. I recommend that you have Kingsley 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. If it is kennel cough often times it resolves with supportive care including antibiotics. Good luck and have a good night!