2006-10-28 04:50:35 · 11 answers · asked by mark 1970 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It depends on the severity of the murmur, the dog's age, overall health, etc., etc. Only your vet would be able to tell you, because only they have access to your dog's medical health records.
2006-10-28 04:54:57 · answer #1 · answered by Eloise 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Virtually all Cavaliers suffer from mitral valve disease, causing progressively worsening heart murmurs leading to heart failure. This condition can begin to emerge at an early age, and is present in more than half of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by 5 years of age. It is extremely rare for a 10-year-old Cavalier not to have at least a slight heart murmur. It is the leading cause of death of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Veterinary geneticists and cardiologists have designed breeding guidelines to eliminate early-onset mitral valve disease in the breed, but only an insignificant minority of breeders follow these guidelines.
This is a progressive disease. The rate of progression of the disease can vary markedly in different breeds and in different lines within the same breed. The prognosis is guarded once signs of congestive heart failure develop ie difficulty breathing and/or fluid retention in the abdomen. Careful regular monitoring of dogs by a veterinary surgeon, once congestive heart failure develops, can prolong life considerably and the use of a wide range of medications (normally in combination with each other) does improve survival, control clinical signs and give good quality of life in many cases but eventually medical therapy ceases to work, and with deterioration in clinical condition euthanasia is often the only and kindest option.
2006-10-28 11:53:45 · answer #2 · answered by richard_beckham2001 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It varies from dog to dog. I have a 15 year old Cavalier King Charles who has had a heart murmour and has taken tablets for this for years. He coughs a lot and the vet tells me his heart takes up almost all of his rib cage and sounds terribe. He is still a happy little dog wagging his tail all the time! Make sure your dog is on Vasotop and Vetmedin as these drugs help relieve the symptoms and prolong the dogs life.
2006-10-28 16:45:37 · answer #3 · answered by simplyfemale_01 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry to hear about that... a family member had a recent similar experience with a standard poodle...from diagnosis to the end for her was about a month or so- but that obviously could vary depending on a lot of factors. The vet had even stated that the rhythm could possibly stabilize a bit, as it was a young dog. Many live for years with murmurs. I'll keep a good thought for you. Best wishes.
2006-10-28 12:01:30 · answer #4 · answered by answerman63 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
detdeteriorate? meaning the dog? geez, i neverthought of saying it like that lol. i don't know about that type of breed exactly, but my 12 year old chi has had a heart murmur for years and years now. since she's come into my care and beenhanded over to me, we have put her on heart medication. apparently she's ableto live with this murmur quite well. though she is a chi and smaller breeds do tend to last longer thatn bigger ones. but if my little chihuahua wasableto last this long and still be kickin' i'm sure your dog will last a lot longer. though this depend on the severity of the heart murmur and whether or not it is effecting him and if he is on medication for it.
2006-10-28 11:56:00 · answer #5 · answered by Bodhi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the dog. I have seen dogs live a quite a while with a grade 6 heart murmur. Talk to your vet and see what they think.
2006-10-28 11:55:18 · answer #6 · answered by daisygirltn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cocker had a murmur at birth. I slowly progressed and at age 12 she had to be put down because of it. A heart murmur is not a killer. Just have your vet track it and live a normal happy life with your dog.
-MM
2006-10-28 13:43:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask the vet he is the only one who can tell you. Did you ask the breeder of your dog whether she had heart tested the parents before she bred them? BTW it is not a king charles cavalier, it is a Cavalier king charles spaniel.
2006-10-28 15:48:00 · answer #8 · answered by fenlandfowl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do NOT know what a King Charles Cavalier is.. Is it a cat? If it is an animal, you can treat it(heart murmur) with medicine that you can get from the vet. I forgot what it is called.
2006-10-28 11:53:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
they can deteriorate really fast my dog lasted about two month, keep an eye on him ,if your in the UK watch out for bontfire night
2006-10-28 11:55:29 · answer #10 · answered by jackie d 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋