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My dog's cough returned. What causes it? Is it heartworm disease?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Stray dog has severe cough since February 2018 I given him medicine in May whole month it become okay as soon as I stop giving medicine knowing that he is ok now he started to cough again so what possible reason it could be bronchitis or something else also he has other dogs with him no one else has cough like him if it’s heart worm so can it pass through me to the dog that I have at my house ? And usually how much time does dog cough take to go away permanently?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on June 26th, 2018

I am sorry to hear that your dog is coughing. There are so many reasons for chronic cough such as allergic bronchitis, pulmonary hypertension, heartworm disease, enlarged heart, fungal infection, parasites, and cancer. To answer your question heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes only and can not pass through people. Also, there is no answer to how long it takes for a cough to resolve. It completely depends on what is causing the cough. I would highly encourage you to consider a follow up appointment with your veterinarian soon. X-rays, bloodwork, and a fecal exam may be recommended to help determine the diagnosis and best treatment plan. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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