Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure

My understanding is that the next phase of Odie's heart is Congestive Heart Failure.
Here's what the web page I found says the symptoms are:
- bloated, pear-shaped tummy (because fluid backs up into the liver and leaks out into the abdomen)
- much less active and tire easily
- appetite usually falls off
- difficult respiration, panting and coughing while at rest
- membranes of the mouth are grayish rather than healthy pink and vessels on the surface are abnormally congested with blood
- jugular pulse in which the beating of the heart can be seen in the large jugular veins of the neck

It says CHF can develop over many months or years, but then ...
As heart function declines, the body is able to compensate for several weeks or months. However, at some point, the body's ability to compensate is no longer effective. At this point, dogs can go into severe heart failure in what appears to be a matter of hours. Rapid, heavy breathing, blue tongue (cyanosis), excessive drooling, or collapse may be the first signs that anything is wrong.

By the time the dogs develop the problems, they rarely live beyond a year or two. Many die sooner despite the use of many medications.

Here's where I got the info:
http://www.2ndchance.info/conghtfaildog.htm

A shorter list of symptoms is:
Coughing

Shortness of breath

Difficult breathing (dyspnea)

Weight loss

Fatigue

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/a-matter-of-the-heart-congestive-heart-failure/page1.aspx

This one says the same as the first one, that his body will compensate for a few months, then:
For several months, these compensatory responses help the situation. Increased fluid retention eventually becomes harmful. More and more fluid leaks out of capillaries, causing increased gagging and coughing, and reduced stamina. Fluid may collect in the abdominal cavity and body tissues. Fluid in the lungs is called pulmonary edema, fluid below the skin is called peripheral or limb edema, and fluid in the abdomen is called ascites. Congestive heart failure is a common cause of these signs.

And then it sounds like it's really quick:
Dilated cardiomyopathy develops over many months or even years. Its effects on blood flow also develops slowly. As heart function declines, the body is able to compensate for several weeks or months. At some point in time, the body’s ability to compensate is no longer effective. At that point, dogs go into severe heart failure in what appears to be a matter of hours. Rapid, heavy breathing, a blue tongue, excessive drooling, or collapse may be the first signs.

And his life expectation:
Most dogs that stabilize quickly will live for a period of a few months to many months, but the long-term prognosis is not good. It can be difficult to generate an accurate estimate for life-expectancy when a dog has heart disease because many variables impact on survival.

http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/heartfailure.html

I can't bear to read anymore. There were lots of google hits for "congestive heart failure dog".