My dog, Ezra, started coughing this week and panting for no reason. He did it once on Tuesday and then it gradually became more frequent. My DH took him to the vet yesterday to see if he had a chest cold and the x-rays revealed that his heart is severely enlarged. He has a pronounced heart murmur now. The vet said that Ezra may have congestive heart failure but they wanted to rule out kennel cough (even though Ezra hasn't been around any other dogs). He gave us some antibiotics and diuretic prescriptions for him to take. He is scheduled to have an ultrasound on April 1. I am frantic about this! Ezra is only 10 and, besides surviving parvo and having epilepsy, he has been healthy. Has anyone had any experience with congestive heart failure in their dogs? Heart disease runs in my family so I am familiar with how it can be controlled with drugs and lifestyle changes...but with my dog? I am so scared and I am crying again as I write this. My vet won't be available until Monday to talk to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
