My senior chihuahua with CHF is coughing and panting, adjust meds?

Question

My 10lb chihuaha is almost 13 years old. He has CHF and is currently on furosemide12.5mg(half a pill), vetmedin1.25mg, and enalapril2.5mg(half a pill) 2x/day. I believe he has a grade 3-4 heart murmur. Hes been doing fine for over 2 years but lately he has been coughing alot and panting even at rest. When he lies down hes ok but this morning i took him out and he was standing and panting and coughing. He hasnt been himself lately. . I want to ask if i should increase any of his meds? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 12 years and 7 months old | 10 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Tiny! Based on the signs you are describing (panting, coughing, and acting "off" recently), I would definitely be concerned that his heart disease may be getting worse, which may require changes in his medication doses. By law, the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach are not allowed to give any recommendations regarding dosages for any medication, since this requires a physical exam and a VCPR (veterinarian-client-patient relationship). I would suggest talking to the vet who is currently treating Tiny's CHF and who originally prescribed the medications to see what he/she would recommend - it would be best to do this today, or take Tiny back to the vet for an exam this afternoon, since worsening CHF can be life-threatening without prompt treatment.

My senior chihuahua with CHF is coughing and panting, adjust meds?

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