katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,377 
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Post by katybee on Sept 15, 2019 22:06:38 GMT
My brother’s 5 month old puppy was just diagnosed with a slight heart murmur. He’s overall been slow to develop, so he might outgrow it. But if not, what does it mean? My brother’s bummed about it....
FTR, the dog is not showing any symptoms of having a heart problem...
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Post by Patter on Sept 15, 2019 22:26:35 GMT
My daughter never showed signed of a heart murmur or problem. They can be very deceitful. She did not gain weight when she was young, but that was the only sign. As for dogs, I am not sure. I am sorry, and hope you find this article helpful. vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/heart-murmurs-in-dogsOh, and our older dog (10) developed a murmur and died of congestive heart failure but that's different than what we are talking about with this little pup. |
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kibblesandbits
Pearl Clutcher
At the corner of Awesome and Bombdiggity
Posts: 3,305
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Post by kibblesandbits on Sept 15, 2019 22:35:42 GMT
One of my dogs had a murmur his whole life - started as a Class 2 murmur and didn't really progress until he was age 13 or so. His last two years it was a Class 4 murmur, and he died of congestive heart failure.
Have the vet classify it, and they will watch it as the dog grows. Should usually be no biggie. What kind of dog?
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Post by PenandInk on Sept 15, 2019 22:42:47 GMT
We got a purebred puppy that had a heart murmur. We kept him after our vet heard it, and he was fine for about 8 years. When it became worse, we spent thousands of dollars dealing with the congestive heart failure. He had a long, slow decline and the last 2 years were hard for us. Constant tests, ekg’s, blood tests, medication. He was a part of the family, and that was our choice, but it was hard. He was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a breed that is prone to heart problems. We could have returned him, but of course, we all loved him and couldn't imagine doing that.
We always pay for dog health insurance now. Learned our lesson the hard way. If your brother already has doggie health insurance, so it’s not a preexisting condition, then at least most of the expense will be covered. If not, I’d think seriously about returning the dog or accepting the commitment.
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,286
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Sept 15, 2019 23:34:34 GMT
We had a dog that had a heart murmur. It didn't effect him at all except that we had to sign a document every time he had his teeth cleaned that he might not survive the anesthesia. He had a host of other health problems and the murmur was the least of his issues. He lived to be 16+.
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Post by elaine on Sept 16, 2019 0:30:26 GMT
What breed of puppy?
If it is/has Cavalier King Charles, mitral valve disease is basically part of the breed. It can show early on as a heart murmur. It leads to serious heart problems.
But, not knowing the puppy, it is hard to say what the outcome will be.
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Post by pherena on Sept 16, 2019 1:09:30 GMT
My pup was the runt of the litter but was the fiercest little thing. She had a heart murmur most of her life and took meds for it the last 6 years she was with us. She lived to be 16 years old, but did die of heart failure. I'm sure every animal is different and one's vet is a valuable source of information and advice. It doesn't have to mean a premature death in every case, though, and our little Abby lived a full and happy life. Good luck.
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Post by freecharlie on Sept 16, 2019 1:15:55 GMT
We had a Lhasa that had a heart murmur since puppyhood. She lived 13 or so years without major issues. Her last year she had seizures.
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slkmommy
Junior Member
Posts: 97
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Post by slkmommy on Sept 16, 2019 1:25:22 GMT
As someone said above, Cavalier King Charles are prone to heart disease. Ours had a murmur at three months old, but at 15 months it was gone and no signs of heart disease. With our breed, it usually develops around age 7 or so, sometimes sooner or later. When we thought he would be developing it early, our choice was to power through...he’s too adorable and lovable to not keep him.
I also think that that our mutt had a murmur, but we never had any problems at all with her and she was almost 15 when she passed.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 16, 2019 2:30:11 GMT
I had a poodle that had a heart murmur his whole life. It didn’t really present any issues for him to be happy and otherwise healthy. We were told we should get his teeth cleaned every year, because gum disease could make his heart problems worse. By the time he was 11, the same vet said that putting him under anesthesia to clean his teeth would be just as bad for an older dog as having bad teeth, so we opted to not get his teeth cleaned that year. Within a year he started having weird problems so I took him to the vet. The vet said he was having seizures and was not doing well, and we ended up putting him down. He wasn’t even 12 which is still fairly young for a toy poodle. Those little dogs can easily live to be 16-18 years old if they’re in good health, and we always wondered if getting his teeth cleaned would have prolonged his life.
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Post by janniepea on Sept 16, 2019 3:00:54 GMT
Yes, we have a mini dachshund that has a slight murmur. We were shocked because he was the craziest puppy! And at 11 years old now, he’s still bonkers! Extremely playful and active. He never had to take any medicine but is watched closely when he had surgery or his teeth cleaned.
I wish all the best for this little puppy
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,377
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Post by katybee on Sept 16, 2019 3:19:09 GMT
Thanks for the replies. He is a shih’tzu. The vet could barely hear the murmur. She did not hear it on his first 2 appointments. He will go back in a few weeks to check on it again, and possibly get an ultrasound. He is a crazy little puppy...very active.
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muggins
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,861
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Post by muggins on Sept 16, 2019 12:45:44 GMT
No experience with dogs, but my 16 year old cat has had a very slight heart murmur all his life. We’ve lived in three different countries with him and each new vet always comments on it. It’s never affected his health or level of activity.
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,030
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Post by schizo319 on Sept 16, 2019 13:57:18 GMT
Our purebred dachshund had a heart murmur all her life (along with a multitude of other health issues) - we suspect she was originally a puppy mill dog. She was given to us by a relative who bought her from a "breeder" she found in the newspaper - after they realized that a puppy is rambunctious and destructive (shocker!).
She never had a problem with the murmur though, she lived to be a very decrepit 12.
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Post by Linda on Sept 16, 2019 15:21:30 GMT
no experience with dogs but 4 of our cats had heart murmurs - 2 are still alive, well, and active at 9 and 10 years old. The other two - one died at 6m (she had other defects and was the runt) and one died of heart failure at 5 years old. So a mixed bag - although the 2 who died had more severe murmurs (grade 3 vs grade 1 and 2 for the others) and were littermates. The 10 yr old is the mum of those two. The 9 yr is unrelated.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
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Post by pridemom on Sept 17, 2019 22:24:32 GMT
My brother has a golden retriever with a heart murmur. The vet wouldn’t neuter him due to concerns with anesthesia. Other than that, he’s a healthy nine year old dog.
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