Nothing to grade 3 heart murmur in 1 month?

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Freaking out...our Cavie has just been to the vets to have routine dental treatment and they've advised against doing it because they say has a grade 3 heart murmur. He's almost 7 years old and was at the vets last month and his heart was fine and always has been.

Can it really go from fine to grade 3 in a month and if so does that mean it's something more sinister and he'll deteriorate rapidly?

He's booked in to have an ultra sound next week. I'm in bits.

I don't know but we were once told at a checkup when pups was about 6 months old that they had a grade 2 murmur. I was very surprised as nothing had been picked up before when taken for vaccination.

They have been at the get about 5 times since, now 2, and each time told there are no murmur at all, the first of these only about a month after the visit with the diagnosis.

The loudness of the heart murmur is not directly related to the severity of the disease there are quite a few other factors. The ultrasound will give you a much clearer picture.
Cavaliers do really very well on heart medication and studies have shown that they live longer than any other breed with medication.
We know so much about how to manage their type of heart disease there have been two huge studies EPIC and QUEST that have given us a huge amount of information.

The way I was told was that some heart mummers were fine/livable and did not affect the pet at all in day to day life UNTIL a general anaesthetic is needed. That changes everything as it can impact on how they cope when knocked out or recover. An ultrasound will give clearer details on whether your pet can have a GA.

Thanks both, really appreciate your responses x