Heart Murmur

[rob284 1,682]

Anyone had a pup with a strong heart murmur go on to work well? Just found out mine has a strong one and told by the vet when vaccinating it, it may not make it to 1yr old!

[marshman 7,758]

I had a bitch once that would be ok one time and look under the weather the next , if there was something going she would catch it . I Don't know weather she had a heart murmur but she never really had any constitution if that makes sense, She never made the grade unfortunately . I think the jobs hard enough for a healthy dog let alone a dog with a fault . In saying that I'd still give her chance to do what she was bred for jmho

[Keepbordersworking 103]

In my opinion it's a no no for work our little warriors have to be of sound health and fit for purpose. You may get your dog working but one day you may open up an earth to it lying dead.

 

Ps I think Im developing heart problems with this new pup I've got she's 8 months old and quite biddable until she gets on a scent well Saturday morning 1am she gets onto a strong fox scent I'm away after her but nothing after an hour so went home for the car and the wife she wasn't best pleased searched till 5am my son came down at 6am and went searching came back with her at 8am she had been in a house about 400m away all night the punter said he was waiting till 8am and was going to phone the SPCA another tree hugger that would have cost £70??

[Raymond 618]

Anyone had a pup with a strong heart murmur go on to work well? Just found out mine has a strong one and told by the vet when vaccinating it, it may not make it to 1yr old!

Dont know about a pup but Ive a heart murmer myself.The doctor noticed it when I was in primary school and Ive made it to 42 so far. I havent been dugg to like a terrier but Ive dug hard to terriers and ferrets without keeling over. Dont know if its the same with dogs but according to the doctor he reconed at the time because my heart had to work a little harder as I was growing. He seemed to think I would end up with a stronger and slightly bigger heart. Im going back a little over 30years ago . Doctors oppinions could be different now.

[Bosun11 537]

Personally, i wouldn't give a flying feck. If it makes it to graft, you could loose it at it's job. So provided the vet ain't expecting some lucrative, long term treatment, crack on!

 

Even if it turnes out a nailer to work, I very much doubt i'd breed off of it. The condition 'may' be heredetory and you wouldn't want that in a line.

 

My daughter also has a heart murmour and swam 600 metres on her 5th birthday...

[rob284 1,682]

Ill see how it goes, does anyone know for sure if it is hereditory

[Dawn B 212]

When you say a strong murmur, how did the vet grade it? Is the vet experienced in cardiology enough to grade it competently?

[rob284 1,682]

Well i noticed it before i went just from feeling his chest. It does feel quite heavy but how would i know. Im not sure on the vet and his training but it is obvious compared with his litter mates. Its a border by the way.

[neil cooney 10,416]

I know of a good family of springer spaniels that carry the defect and they're real good at their job.

But some of them do get found dead in the morning once they reach a mature age.

But, as has been said if it were mine I'd carry on as normal. If the terrier croaks it during work ,well, that's life and IMO it's how a terrier would rather to go than dying as an over weight lapdog.

I just wouldn't breed from it.

It's probably more common than we think.

[onion jonny 527]

bought a pup from a lad off here a good few years ago, went to the vets to get it jabbed and was told it had a bad murmur they did grade it i think about a four anyway the pup was given to the wifes aunt who was at the vets a lot with it it died before it was a year old.

[taz2010 1,297]

i had a dog with severe heart murmur years back he worked great first season took him to work every day with me,one day he dropped down dead aged 2 1/2 years whilst on way home from work

[sandymere 8,263]

The heart if a system of valves and chambers that efficiently moves blood around the body. Normal heart sounds, such as the double beat we are all used to, are the blood being passed from chamber to chamber through the valves. When the heart is still growing there is often a mismatch in sizes of valves etc that leads to blood flowing less efficiently through the system causing 'turbulence'. The sound of this turbulence, is called a murmur, and is graded 1 to 6 based on how loud it is. The louder the sound the more turbulence which equates to how effective or not the heart will be.

 

 

These as common in pups as there is often a mismatch in the early growth of the organ but as the heart matures these size mismatches usually resolve and the heart develops normal efficient flow so the sounds disappear. Occasionally there can be murmurs in mature animals which is caused by similar turbulence and as they need proper evaluation by a vet that knows their stuff. These can also develop through damage to the heart although may have been there since puppyhood and just never picked up.

 

I'd get it checked again in a few months.

 

 

Ps, Alas if diagnosed as a heart murmur in a mature animal I wouldn't use it for breeding.

 

Regards s

[Dawn B 212]

Hi again

"Innocent" murmurs are common in puppies. All types, often heard at 8 weeks and gone by 12 weeks. If the Vet is competent and has graded it 4-6 then Id say there is a chance it may be affected in alter life. Grades 1-3 rarely cause issue at all. It really depends on the problem causing the murmur, but in all honesty Id want a well qualified cardiologist to diagnose it. If the pup is lethargic, or coughs etc.. at this stage then Id say its not good news. If its normal then thats much better news.