Puppy heart murmur dilema

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abb123

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My mum is just about to pick up a Golden Retriever puppy on Saturday. She was vet checked today and the vet found a heart murmur.

My mum is inclined to say that she won't take her as it will have implications on insurance but is clearly devastated.

It could be just a puppy heart murmur that will go away but it could also be an indication of further problems.

Does anyone know what problems these could be?

If it was just a case of having some tablets then my mum would be ok with that but if it could lead to serious things like surgery or limit how active the dog could be then my mum wouldn't.
 
I think you are both entirely correct...
"My mum is inclined to say that she won't take her as it will have implications on insurance but is clearly devastated.

It could be just a puppy heart murmur that will go away but it could also be an indication of further problems"
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I had one imported pup who outgrew a puppy heart murmur...difficult to send back as she was imported from Austria to Italy.....she did outgrow the murmur but was the most unhealthy dog I've ever had...(. Autoimmune issues).

If you've only had this pup a few days and the breeder will refund,personally I'd send her back. This is based on my personal experience and I realize a pup can outgrow the murmur but with a breed like a golden who are also high risk for so many other health issues,I'd stick to my guns and return the pup.
 
if I hadn't got the pup already and wanted a fully active companion I woudl without a doubt not take it. IF I wanted to rescue a dog and take on known issues fine but you have no idea (unless it is scanned by a cardiologist) what the implications are
 
You need the opinion of a specialist vet who will want to, at the very least, carry out an ultrasound. You can't really tell what you are dealing with just like that; it could be anything, from something that will repair itself, to a seriously life limiting condition.
 
Thanks everyone. After lots of soul searching, talking to the breeders, and our vets we have decided not to take the puppy.

The good news is that the breeders are lovely and have agreed to swap her for one of the other bitches from the litter that they were going to keep. They will keep her and monitor the heart murmur themselves. The breeders have been fabulous through out and I can't recommend them enough!
 
They sound like very responsible and nice breeders. I think you made the right decision, I have a 10 yr old King Charles cavalier, and it's heart breaking watching my happy, fun loving and otherwise fit and healthy dog slowly being let down by his heart.
 
I or my family members have kept more than one puppy with a heart murmur and it has always disappeared at a later date...not sure if we've just been lucky but vet advised lots of murmurs disappear. Have ended up with some amazing dogs as a result.
 
Some murmurs go away with age......some are signs of serious stuctural and life limiting issues within the heart itself....ultrasound by a specialist is usually the only way to know which type you are dealing with.

Most murmurs will not cause an issue and will fade away in time... but those few that are present due to structural issues are generally devastating and either extremely expensive to try and fix and manage or incurable.

I'm glad you are dealing with a responsible breeder. This dog most likely will go on to lead a long and healthy life but theres also a smaller chance may not make its first birthday depending on what heart issue is present. It all depends on the why the sound is there.Murmurs are a sound caused by abnormal movement of blood in the chambers of the heart so theres lots of possible reasons.

Personally I would not deliberately buy a puppy with a murmur as ive seen the heartache and devastation to a family these puppies can cause when they are one of the small percent with issues...but if I had bred a litter that puppy wouldnt be sold until I knew exactly what was going on....or would become a pet for life.
 
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