what are the symptoms in a dog of heartworm??

Question

my 2 year old Maltese, shitzu x seems to have trouble breathing & coughing a bit, only sometimes, but i was wondering if it could be heartworm??

Answer 1

Coughing is usually the first symptom, along with exercise intolerance. But the small breed dogs are prone to other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, like collapsing trachea and heart failure. Have your vet do x-rays and a heartworm test.

Answer 2

Why isn't it on preventative? Some dogs with heartworm do not show symptoms, and the first sign is sudden death.