Any experiences of heart murmurs ?

[DustyLee123]

Mine is 12 now and I’ve been told he has a grade 2 heart murmur. I’d like to hear your Experiences of treatment etc

Have you been told he needs treatment for it? My 11 year old terrier developed a heart murmur about 3 years ago and we were told to watch for tiredness, breathing problems, coughing, etc but he hasn't had any problems so far.

I know a German shepherd who was diagnosed with a serious heart murmur as a puppy. The vet said she wouldn't live longer than a year. She's 12 now, never needed any treatment for it.

No, no treatment. Just annual checks until it’s grade 3, then scan and meds.

My dog has had a murmur since she was about 2. She's 13 now and it hasn't caused any problems and she isn't on any treatment. Many dogs have heart murmurs that don't turn into congestive heart failure so don't worry unduly.

My dog has recently been graded as a stage 3. He has had a heart murmur all his life but it's only started to affect his health in the last 3 months.

He was coughing and having syncopal episodes. He's medicated now, which has helped, but I don't know how much longer we'll have him.

My dog developed a murmur when he was about 9. He was put on vetmadin. We had insurance so claimed on that until renewal when they wouldn't insure it. Then we got a prescription and ordered it online. He took it for a couple of years until he died (of stomach cancer) Once on the meds it caused no issues

Yes my little bichon was diagnosed as a two when I got him at five years old. He's had multiple trips to the vet and nothing was mentioned, he's 12 now. Then three weeks ago he was coughing and breathing very fast. He spent two days in a vet hospital while they stabilised him and kept him in an oxygen kennel. We saw a cardiologist and it cost about £550 but was very much worth it, out of the over £3000 spent that was the best. His valve has failed and there's two bulges where the blood pooling has made the chamber stretch. He's on three different drugs and a potassium supplement, he's unwell really but happy enough and having little walks.

I don't know how long he's got and it's horrible watching his heart and breathing, but we are trying to just enjoy him every day. He's making giving him the meds an absolute nightmare too.

I wish we'd have found out sooner and started meds earlier but he was running around three days before.

Thanks for your replies. He doesn’t have any symptoms that I’m aware of, so I’m hopeful that he’ll have several more years yet 🤞🏻

My 14 year old mini poodle/welsh terrier has had a heart murmur all her life and it has very slowly got worse. I can't remember what grade she is but she is on Vetmedin and doesn't seem to have any issues. She is no longer insured so I have a prescription and her meds cost £34 for 50 days.
The vet recommended the Cardalis app to monitor her sleeping breathing which I do time to time. I do also monitor for "coughing" as it's reverse breathing when they are struggling to catch their breath.
The little old lady has Cushings disease now too but more meds have got that under control.