My dog has breathing problems. Could it be fluid from heart failure?

Question

My dog is in kidney failure & then diagnosed w/ Pulmonary Hypertension by a cardiologist. A little over 2 weeks & his breathing has changed. Took him 2 his regular vet, he listened 2 his heart/lungs & didn't hear fluid. Would more have had 2 be done 2 confirm he hasn't since gone into heart failure or would he have heard it & then recommended further action ie. X-ray etc. How quick would fluid build up if he did go into heart failure? How quickly would a diuretic pill help if there was fluid? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 14 years old | 5.4 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

These are all great questions. I’m sorry you are having to navigate through this with Memi but he is lucky to have an owner as dedicated as you are! An increased respiratory rate and/or effort can be indicative of fluid build up in the lungs from heart failure. Sometimes this fluid can be heard on exam with a stethoscope and sometimes it can only be seen on X-rays. In my experience, the severity of the fluid build up correlates with the physical exam findings. Occasionally I may see fluid in an X-ray that I cannot hear on exam so I always recommend doing X-rays if I am suspicious of heart failure. The rate at which fluid builds up in th lungs can vary from dog to dog and case to case. There is no way to anticipate how quickly fluid will accumulate in Memi until it begins to happen. A diuretic like lasix can very effectively remove this fluid but, like with all drugs, has to be used with caution and the patient has to be monitored closely while on it. If Memi is still having difficulty breathing I would recommend requesting a recheck appointment with either your regular veterinarian or your cardiologist. I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

My dog has breathing problems. Could it be fluid from heart failure?

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