Dog with Heart Murmur

racso1975

Brought Lucy my 5 1/2 month old mastiff to the vet today due to a kidney infection..she kept weeing all the time....anyhow he listened to her heart and then told me she had a heart murmur

Thing is he said it's nothing to worry about but just be consious of it and keep it at the back of your mind???

Now tellin me the above is grand when it has shook me a bit but i was wondering does anybody know what thi means for lucy especially given that she will be a giant breed?

As always thanks for any advice?

Schlemm

A heart murmur is basically due to turbulent flow of blood through the heart, and is usually related to a problem with the valves of the heart that control the flow of blood into, out of, and around the heart.

They are graded according to severity, and the most severe type of heart murmur can actually be felt by putting your hand on the chest wall, while the more mild murmurs are more subtle and cannot be detected this way - you'll need a stethescope to hear them. While murmurs are abnormal, a low grade murmur may be harmless but you will need to check up on it in case it gets any worse. There are many different types of heart murmur, depending on the part of the heart affected. In your dog's case it is more than likely a congenital problem, ie, she was born with it, given her young age.

Mastiffs have certain problems that run in the breed, heart problems (aortic stenosis, mitral valve problems and cardiomyopathy) among them. Some may develop innocuous heart murmurs which aren't a cause for concern. I assume that your vet picked up a mild murmur during the examimation.

If it's not a cause for concern, all you can do is watch out for any changes in your dog's health. Look out especially for intolerance to excercise and a decrease in stamina level. Watch out for shorness of breath, coughing and panting that are above your dog's normal levels. Also watch out for any changes in weight, either loss or gain. Of course, these are things that would cause concern anyways, but just be extra aware of your dog's health, and particularly keep an eye out for lethargy and/or excercise intolerance.

racso1975

Hey schlemm thanks for your quick indedph response can you tell me would it be worth gettin further tests done i.e. ultrasound to see the leve of murmur that exists. just thinking that i was gonna get her spayed ina couple of weeks and now i'm wondering could he anestetic affect her?

Maybe it's an over the top reaction and the vet will prob know best but last thing i want is for "the cuddle monster" to be unwell

Schlemm

Ask your vet about doing the tests when you're making the appointment for the spay; with such a variation in the different types of heart murmur out there, they'll know what is best for her.:D

andrawolf

I had a jack russell with a heart murmur from a pup. He had a very good life he lived until he was 16. He was on tablets all of his life. We where told not to over excite him. But it is hard not to over excite a jack.

artieanna

great reply there schlemm...are you a veterinarian?
you dished out quite a bit of info there