Dogs can have heart murmurs too!
Just like humans, dogs can have heart murmurs. A heart murmur means that there is an abnormal blood flow in the heart, which may be caused by a malfunction of the heart valves or a lack of communication between the left side and the right side of the heart. So how does a dog get a heart murmur? There are several reasons why a heart murmur may exist in your dog. Your dog may have a congenital heart defect, meaning that they have had it since birth, or it can develop in your dog as a result of a diseases and changes in the heart valves of your dog over time.
So how do you know if your dog has a heart murmur? Your dog can be diagnosed in a variety of ways, which I’ll mention in a bit, but you might notice symptoms as warnings that will warrant a visit to the vet. Symptoms may include one or more of the following: coughing, difficulty in breathing, a lack of energy or enthusiasm for exercise, fainting or a blue tinge to the gums or toungue, which would indicate insufficient blood flow. The vet may be able to pinpoint the murmur, and severity with a physical exam of your dog, but may also require other diagnostic tests such as an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram or an x-ray.
So if your dog is diagnosed with a murmur, what do you do? If your dog is a puppy and is diagnosed with a heart murmur, the vet might take a “wait and see” attitude. Very often, this condition, as with human children disappears with age. In many cases, the existence of a heart murmur may not affect your dog at all. In other cases, the dog may possibly be treated with medication or with a surgical procedure. As with any medical condition, it is good to get a second opinion, so if your dog is diagnosed with a heart murmur, you may want to request a referral to a canine cardiologist as this type of vet will have specialized knowledge of your dog’s condition.
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