Heart murmur in young dog

[scats]

Lily-Rose went in to be neutered this morning and the vet rang me shortly afterwards to say she has a heart murmur. This has obviously developed in the last few months because the same vet saw her back in February and there was no sign of anything then. Vet put the murmur at around grade 2 but says Lily-Rose seems extremely healthy and showing no signs of any other issues. We had a chat about whether to go ahead with the spay and we have decided to, obviously recognising that there is a slightly increased risk now. Vet was happy enough to go ahead but just wanted to make sure we were aware. We are going to refer her to a cardiologist as she has only just turned 1. Thankfully she is insured..!

Does anyone have any experience of a young dog developing a murmur? Lily-Rose is a Shih Tzu x JRT and very fit and active, but does have a tendency to go absolutely wild with our other dog and I am worried about how much I should be allowing her to run given this news.

 

[ihatework]

Is it just worth waiting a month or two and just seeing how things pan out and getting her rechecked?

My young cat had a heart murmur picked up. I was given a variety of options, spoke to my insurers and opted for wait and see. 6 month check and the murmur was gone.

 

[AmyMay]

My dog (Bichon) has a slight heart murmur. TBH it doesn’t appear to affect her at all. I let her do as much as she wants exercise wise. My theory being that if she keels over she’s had the best life on her terms (she’s six years old).

 

[scats]

Is it just worth waiting a month or two and just seeing how things pan out and getting her rechecked?

My young cat had a heart murmur picked up. I was given a variety of options, spoke to my insurers and opted for wait and see. 6 month check and the murmur was gone.

Thank you. Did they have any idea what caused your cats murmur?

 

[scats]

My dog (Bichon) has a slight heart murmur. TBH it doesn’t appear to affect her at all. I let her do as much as she wants exercise wise. My theory being that if she keels over she’s had the best life on her terms (she’s six years old).

That’s a very good way of looking at it! We are always a bit careful with Lily-Rose because she’s slightly brachy (although the JRT influence is fantastic and she’s nowhere near as flat faced as a pure Shih Tzu) but she sometimes runs herself to the point that we have to stop her for a few minutes and calm her down.

 

[ihatework]

Not really. He was a dodgy preloved buy and came a flu-ey, murmur was picked up at about 12 months. Possibly viral but these things can come and go.

 

[Parrotperson]

My jet has a grade 3 murmur diagnosed at about the time she was spayed.

She lived till she was 16 and it was cancer that got her so I wouldn't be worrying. Get it checked every 6 months.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Mine had a grade 4, picked up as a youngster. He was wild, only ever at the vet due to (apparently typical) springer style injuries, sometimes needed stitches, springers go through things, not round. He was almost 16 when pts, age, canine dementia, incontinent and finding it impossible to get up unaided (this latter didn’t last long, we weren’t prepared to let him suffer) Point being that he lived life to the fullest.

Heart murmurs don’t have to mean restrictions, just keep checking with the vet if he wants to see her and take their advice.

 

[scats]

Thank you all. Collecting Lily-Rose at 4pm as everything went well. Will have another chat to the vet and see what they think.

 

[scats]

She’s home but feeling very sorry for herself.

 

[gallopingby]

My setter, who’s a rescue was thoroughly checked when she came to live with me. So sign of anything wrong until 2 years latter at annual vac check up when vet said she had a heart murmur but when seen 6 months later by a different vet and asked to check it had disappeared. Apparently they can come and go sometimes. Maybe just wait and see. Both vets same practice, the first just said don’t panic be aware and can give meds if required.

 

[{97702}]

I wouldn’t think anything about it to be honest, but then I was brought up with cavaliers and everyone knows what dreadful appalling illness-ridden monsters they are! (no..... of course they aren’t.....not always ?.....)

I wouldn’t restrict exercise or life in any kind of way for that level of supposed murmur...
in my experience you might well find that you take her back to another vet in 6-12 months time (or considerably less) who asks you WTF you were doing considering heart medication and who states there is absolutely nothing wrong.

That happened to me with one of my greyhounds, it really brought home to me how very subjective the supposed diagnosis of heart murmurs is ?

 

[splashgirl45]

my last 2 lurchers had heart murmurs, they were not related. one vet said my last lurcher was a grade 2 and another vet seen a short while later said it was grade 4. it seems that the vets just hear things differently so i didnt worry. i lost this one at almost 13 and she had arthritis of her hips, nothing to do with her heart and she was a real hunter and never had her exercise restricted..... i lost the first lurcher at almost 15 , she stopped eating , vet thought it could have been pain from teeth so she had a ga and teeth scaled and a few out. vet said heart was very strong even though she had a heart murmer, it wasnt due to teeth so i made that decision before she starved herself to death... so neither of mine had restricted exercise or any treatment ...

 

[rara007]

Do remember volume of murmur doesn’t always correlate to severity of the disease. If you can get a cardiology scan then at that age I think it’d be well worth it, even if they do agree to ‘just’ monitor every few years.

 

[scats]

Thanks everyone. I was sitting there last night having a think as the vet had asked does she always seem fit and well when running around etc, not exercise intolerant. I suddenly remembered an incident that happened about 3 weeks ago at the shore. Dogs were running on the sand dunes, it was morning and not a particularly hot day. Lily suddenly stopped and looked like she was choking for a moment, she was sort of half trying to catch her breath and half gagging. I just assumed she had inhaled some sand or something while they were running so I sat with her while she got her breath back. It probably only lasted for about 40-50 seconds and then she got up and off she went running again.
It might have been nothing at all and totally unconnected, but we are back at the vet tomorrow for a wound check up, so I’ll mention it to the vet.

 

[scats]

Lily- Rose is recovering well from surgery. She was very sorry for herself sod the first 48 hours and we were concerned she wasn’t peeing much so we sent a sample in when she had her post op check and she has a UTI. So she is on antibiotics now too. Vet pleased with how the wound is looking although it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get her to remain calm now she’s feeling better! She goes back for her final check up next week and then I’ll discuss with the vet the options for her having her checked out by a cardiologist.

Picture of the monkey

 

[paisley]

Whippet was diagnosed with grade 2 murmur about 2 years ago, so naturally I fretted myself into a state, and got him scanned. He has a slightly malformed age related heart valve, so the ejection fraction isnt quite so efficient.
The only time I considered exercise restriction was on a walk, then resignedly watched the little beast tearing off after something furry, and binned that idea. The only adjustment I have made is in warmish weather, if it seems like he's a bit hotter than usual, but TBH isnt that everyone does anyway?
The gagging thing might be a bit of reverse sneezing- he gets that too- but its not, as far as I know, related. He did it for years before the murmur started.