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My dog Tibby is 13 yrs old. diagnosed 10 yrs ago with enlarged heart, CHF, and stage 4 heart murmur. She’s on Enalapril, Vetmedin, lasix 20 mg split in half 2x daily. regular Vet is out with covid with staff so can’t take her there. She hacks deep from inside and does bring up fluid she swallows. This started within last few months. Acts normal otherwise eating, poos, pees normal. Coughs during night, several times daily but not out on walks. Should I increase lasix? Wgt 20 lbs. Connie Vigil

My dog Tibby is 13 yrs old. diagnosed 10 yrs ago with enlarged heart, CHF, and stage 4 heart murmur. She’s on Enalapril, Vetmedin, lasix 20 mg split in half 2x daily. regular Vet is out with covid with staff so can’t take her there. She hacks deep from inside and does bring up fluid she swallows. This started within last few months. Acts normal otherwise eating, poos, pees normal. Coughs during night, several times daily but not out on walks. Should I increase lasix? Wgt 20 lbs. Connie Vigil

Updated On January 21st, 2021

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 20 lbs

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

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Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tibby. I am sorry to hear that she has been struggling. I, unfortunately, do not recommend changing her lasix dose without having her seen by a veterinarian. If hers is not available, then I would try another hospital near by. The reason is that she needs to have her blood work carefully monitored while taking heart medications. Lasix in particular can cause kidney problems. Also, heart failure dogs can have fluid build up not only in the chest, but in her belly as well. Finally, it is not common, but there could be another reason for her increased cough. For example, she could have acquired a respiratory tract infection. The veterinarian needs to examine her, likely monitor her blood work and then make a dose change (if warranted) based on all of this information together. In the meantime, count how many breathes per minute she take while she is resting or sleeping. In a healthy dog, this number is typically less than 30 breathes per minute. It tends to be elevated in heart failure. This information can help guide her veterinarian as well. I hope this information helps!

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