Oh KYS how I understand how you must have felt! It does seem then that the cough is indeed a symptom of heart disease, although I am sure not every dog that coughs has a heart problem. Probably all of our Pet Talk friends will now worry excessively every time their dog coughs. The unconditional love that our pets give us is something that is hard to understand, and when they are ill or have died it is extremely hard to get over. They truly are our "children." Thanks everyone for understanding!