Is my senior chihuahua's enlarged heart and murmur really severe?

Coughing and not really eating in a dog with a heart murmur(s) could point to congestive heart failure. Please take her to a vet immediately. You cannot wait. Maybe you can find assistance with vet bills through this link. https://www.dogingtonpost.com/need-help-with-vet-bills-or-pet-food-there-are-resources-available/ https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8501760

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, that would be considered an emergency. The main reason is that dogs with heart murmurs and heart disease can develop congestive heart failure which is a medical emergency that would warrant evaluation as soon as possible for Maya. The veterinarian would be able to check for this possibility and treat accordingly. Usually if congestive heart failure is confirmed, she may need oxygen therapy, diuretic medications and medications to make her heart work better. Good luck! Wishing Maya the best!

It sounds like Ace might need medication at this point, but it can be really difficult sometimes to determine whether a cough is related to heart disease or respiratory problems like collapsing trachea or chronic bronchitis which can also be very common in senior small dogs. I would contact your vet and let them know that Ace is now coughing so much that he can't rest. They might recommend an echocardiogram to completely rule out heart disease and heart failure as a cause, or they might recommend trying some other medications for cough. If Ace has not had chest x-rays recently they would probably recommend x-rays as well.

It is difficult to determine the cause without an examination but abdominal enlargement can be caused by a variety of medical conditions including an accumulation of fluid, organ enlargement, Cushings disease, etc. You should schedule an examination with a vet to determine if there is a medical problem that needs to be treated. Your vet can run blood-work and take x-rays to help determine the cause.

In a senior dog, a heart murmur is certainly possible. I'm not sure what tests have been done on Twinkie by your vet, but x-rays would be a good next step. This will visualize the heart, and let the vet know if it's enlarged or not. The vet may also want to do an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound on the heart that shows the vet the flow through the chambers and valves of the heart. This also helps diagnose a heart murmur and the seriousness of it. Heart disease cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be treated. I'd discuss with your vet on Monday possibly doing these tests. I hope this helps!

Heart disease is tough. This is true for humans or animals. Pets can quickly go from ok to not ok in minutes. Most forms of heart disease are progressive which means they get worse over time. Signs of worsening heart disease can be increased heart rate and respiratory rate, collapse, exercise intolerance, or coughing. There are many medications that can help improve quality of life. Please see your vet ASAP for an exam and possibly more tests or meds. Hope Boomer feels better!

The most common cause for an enlarged heart in a smaller breed dog is disease or deterioration of the heart valves. The best test to have done is an Echocardiogram. This is an ultrasound of the heart. It allows visualization of the valves and their function, allows measurement of the thickness of the heart muscles and would allow the doctor to see any other abnormal structures. This is best done by an ultrasound specialist or a board certified pet cardiologist in order to get the most accurate and valuable information. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.