Elderly dog with a heart murmur?
The vet recently noticed a slight heart murmur in my 11 yr old dog. He also has arthritis and horrible allergies for which he takes daily medication, and his bloodwork showed low thyroid functioning (which the vet said was odd because he is losing weight, not gaining). The vet said to look out for excessive coughing, which can indicate a worsening heart condition (he coughs sometimes, but not too bad). She didn't seem too worried about him, but I can really tell a difference in him from how he acted and felt a year ago. My question is, what exactly causes a heart murmur and what damage can it do?
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- My 12 yr old dog was diagnosed with a heart murmur this past year. The vet told me this can be brought on simply by an infection in the dog. Basically, a valve for the heart doesn't close all the way like it should (vet hears a whooshing sound as a result) and so the heart works harder to pump the blood out. I was told that a dog can often do fine for some time, even with a heart murmur. But in some cases, it can get bad and be the demise of the dog. My neighbor has a 14 yr old springer spaniel that has had one since the age of 7 and she's been okay so far.
So from what I gathered from my vet, the degree of what can happen has a lot to do with the individual dog.
- Thats sucks man
- Heart murmur is usually a sign of some leakage around a heart valve. Most puppies with murmurs grow out of them. Its not unusual for am older dog to develop one. Just like humans,age takes it toll on dogs health too. At this age,I would enjoy each and every moment you have with your dog. As your vet stated,just be aware of any signs of things getting worse.