He is 7 years old. She said it is VERY common in small dogs (he weighs about 13-15 pounds) and that right now it was nothing to worry about. As he ages it will get worse. Any advice?
2007-02-13 15:50:01 · 2 answers · asked by purplepaws121 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Heart murmurs are quite common in small breed dogs. The important thing is that you are aware of it. As he gets older, you will need to have him checked out more frequently, as dogs with heart murmurs are more prone to heart failure. It would be a good idea to start having a yearly exam with a cardiologist who will do an echocaridogram on your dog (shows how the blood flows through the heart). This way you can spot signs of heart failure early and begin treatment right away. A 2-3 murmur is not too terrible though, they are graded on a scale of 1-6 with 6 being the worst. There are a few things you can do in the future to prevent complications: make sure any vet you see is aware that your dog has a murmur as sometimes they are not as noticeable as others and this must be taken into account when treating for certain illnesses, try keeping him at his ideal weight, overweight pets tend to be less active and a moderate amount of exercise is good for the heart. Also try to avoid giving steroid medications for illnesses or injury unless absolutely needed, and then only for a short time. Your vet can refer you to a local specialty hospital that should have a cardiologist on staff.
2007-02-13 19:52:59 · answer #1 · answered by cs 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just let your vet keep an eye on it..My female Shih Tzu was born with a Heart Murmur. She is now 13 years old. She has always done fine. I hope this puts your mind to rest a little.
2007-02-14 06:42:16 · answer #2 · answered by china 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋