LoveToKnow Dogs:Custom Murmurs and Other Heart
Problems

This is a very interesting situation. Just so other visitors reading this question understand, heart murmurs are graded one through six, with six being the most severe.

Since your Boston was graded a five, I think you would expect at least some coughing and fatigue. It's a little unusual that you don't see any signs at all. Was your dog showing any symptoms before the diagnosis, and did your vet put your dog on medication to regulate the murmur. The medication would control the symptoms to some extent, so that is one possibility of what's going on here.

Now, there is a bit of varience between what each vet considers a particular grade to be. Your vet may work on the cautious side, while another vet might consider your pet's murmur a slightly lower grade. What I recommend is that you contact your vet to discuss the entire situation once more. Go ahead and ask why your dog doesn't show any symptoms with such a serious murmur. Chances are that the vet will do a better job of explaining his findings this time around, but if you're still not satisfied with the information you recieve, it might be a good idea to get a second opinion so you know exactly what's going on with your dog's health.

Thanks for sharing your situaion, and please let us know what you find out. In the meantime, best wishes for your dog's health. - posted by:Kelly

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog's dire situation. For our other visitors who may not be familiar with the term "ascites", it is a fluid buildup in the abdomen that is caused when the right side of the heart is choked with heartworms and is failing. When ascites sets in, a dog is typically in the end stages of the disease.

Your vet would be the best person to give you an estimation of much longer your dog might have, but honestly, the end could come at any time. This is because any type of stress, physical or emotional, could cause the weakened heart to simply fail. It could take hours, it could take days. At this point, every breath is a struggle because the heart is enlarged and can no longer pump efficiently. You do have an option here. You can let nature take it's course, but euthanasia might be the kinder choice. This is a decision everyone has to make for themselves, but it's worth a discussion with your vet.

Again, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation, and I wish you only the best during this difficult time. - posted by:Kelly

I'm sorry to hear about your dog's cough. I can't say for certain what's going on with your pet, but I do know that dogs with a significant heart mumur often develop a cough. This is because the weakened muscle is not able to efficiently pump fluid out of the lungs. In time a high grade murmur can progress into heart failure.

Did the coughing just begin recently. Most vets will advise caretakers to watch for the development of a cough in a dog that was originally diagnosed with a low grade mumur since it is usually a sign that it's time to intervene with medication. Under the circumstances, it would be a good idea to get in touch with your vet and let him/her know about the cough. It could turn out that your dog just has a temporary virus causing the cough, but it's still worth letting your vet give your pet a check up just to be sure.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog's health. - posted by:Kelly

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog's diagnosis. Unfortunately, if both vets agree your dog's heart is this close to failure, I don't know of anything else that can be done. Dogs can be treated for heartworm in the earlier stages, although the treatment does come with risks. Dead worms can cause dangerous clotting. In an advanced case of heartworm, the heart and lungs are filled with these worms and impede the heart's ability to pump. They literally choke the circulatory system. They can't be surgically removed, and there are simply too many to eridicate with medication.

I'm truly sorry to hear about the position you find yourself in, and I wish I had better news for you. Please try to cherish the remaining time you have with your pet, and best wishes to you both. - posted by:Kelly

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to your Sheltie. Like many breeds, the Shetland Sheepdog is susceptible to certain health problems. I did some research and here is what I found.

• Heart disease, especially patent ductus arteriosus
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy, aka PRA blindness
• Collie eye anomaly, another cause of blindness
• Von Willebrands disease, a type of bleeding disorder similar to hemophilia
• Hypothyroidism
• Epilepsy
• Orthopedic problems such as hip dysplaysia and luxating patellas

Responsible breeders are working to remove affected animals from their breeding stock, but there is still work to be done. It's important for prospective puppy buyers to educate themselves about the health challenges of this breed and to ask breeders for proof of testing on their breeding stock. This may not entirely eliminate the chance of purchasing a puppy that will later display one of these health problems, but it should provide a greater chance of choosing a healthy pup.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope that your next canine companion will enjoy a long and healthy life. - posted by:Kelly

I'm sorry to hear about your dog's health issue. Canine heart murmurs are divided into six different grades. Grades one and two are considered minor, grades three to four a bit more serious, and grades five and six very serious.

Without more details, I'm guessing that the murmur was very mild when it was first diagnosed, and most vets take a wait and see approach. That's because slight murmurs often never progress and many dogs live full lives with the condition.

Testing to determine the exact grade of a murmur can be expensive, so that's why many vets will simply advise owners to let them know if the dog begins coughing. Coughing can be a sign that the heart is beginning to function less effectively, and this can lead to fluid build up in the lungs. Hence, the coughing.

At this point, your vet will want to determine if the coughing is directly related to the murmur issue or if it might be due to some other infection or virus. If the vet feels it is related to the murmur, it will likely be time to do more testing to determine the grade and a course of treatment for it whether that includes medication, surgery or both.

Right now, the best thing you can do is schedule an exam with your vet, and let him/her figure out exactly what's going on. Hopefully the condition isn't too serious, but it would be better to know what you're dealing with.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and best wishes for your pet's health. - posted by:Kelly

I'm so sorry to hear about the diagnosis on your puppy. It's very disheartening to hear about such a strong murmur in a pup so young.

You may need to consult an attorney about any recourse you have against the breeder, but let me offer my thoughts anyway.

First, you should contact the breeder and let this person know about the problem with your puppy. Be prepared to offer a copy of your vet's diagnosis as medical proof. In my experience, a responsible breeder would want to know what's going on, and would likely offer some kind of solution, either by giving you your money back (giving you the option to either return the pup or assume future health care costs, responsibility, etc.) or by offering to help pay for the vet.

All of that said, do you know if this breeder ever took the puppy to a vet for a basic health examination and first vaccination before selling it to you? A responsible breeder takes care of this in order to be sure a puppy is healthy enough to place in a new home. This is not a legal obligation, it's just good practice. If the breeder did take the puppy to the vet, ask for that vet's phone number and call the clinic to discuss your puppy's current diagnosis. This vet will have a record whether any pup in the litter showed sign of a heart murmur. Sometimes murmurs can be difficult to detect, and vets can sometimes disagree on the grade of a particular murmur. However, since your puppy has a serious murmur, a vet should have noticed it during a routine exam if indeed one was ever carried out.

In a nutshell, try to work it out with the breeder before you decide whether it's worth it to consult an attorney. You may find your breeder is actually very supportive and helpful.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and best wishes for your puppy's health. - posted by:Kelly