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My dog has an enlarged heart and cough. How long will he live?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | 14 years old | 18 lbs

My dog has an enlarged heart and it causes difficulty with breathing. He tends to cough like he is trying to remove an item that’s in his throat. Our vet said that it’s just bc of his heart being in the way. He is on primobedan and it helped his heart and reduced seizures 100%. He has been on the medication since mid January. But, his coughing has gotten worse here lately. Our vet says his heart will continue to get bigger- causing more issues. I want to know about typical time frames for this

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jenny, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 5th, 2018

There are no typically times frames, some live 2-3 years with medication while others only a few months. However, that is a very good medicine, but there are others that can be used and it is worth consulting your vet about additional medication to help Often times an ace inhibitor is beneficial (enalapril) and a diuretic (salix). These help the heart and decrease the amount of fluid build up. You can also look into a temporary dose of cortisone to help with secondary inflammation from chronic coughing or a cough suppressant.

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