Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Dog Heart Murmur Symptoms And What To Do

By Jennefer Poultson


If your dog has a heart murmur, this is indicative that there is an abnormal amount of blood flow within your dog's heart. This can either be due to a change in the heart valves and their function or a variety of other potential reasons. There may be an abnormal communication between the left and the right side of the dog's heart and this can result in having a dog heart murmur. There may be numerous reasons for this. They may be either congenital or acquired. This means that the heart was affected after the dog was born due to disease or age. There are two distinct kinds of dog heart murmurs. The first is a benign heart murmur which is of no concern to your pup's health. However, it may be a serious heart murmur which may be indicative of congestive heart failure in dogs.

Dog heart murmur symptoms may include the following: coughing, bluish tinge to the tongue or gums, fainting, poor exercise ability and labored breathing. Some of these symptoms are suggestive to other health issues that your dog may have. However, the symptoms are similar between benign heart murmurs and the more severe kinds. If you are concerned about your dog's health in the least you should consult your veterinarian. A few of these symptoms may be missed which includes a bluish tinge to the gums and poor exercise ability. If you suspect that your dog has any dog heart murmur symptoms, development of congestive heart failure or canine heart disease, contact your vet right away for an accurate diagnosis.

There are a number of symptoms that are indicative that your dog may have serious health problems. The best way to identify the source and severity of your pooch's heart murmur is to have your dog checked out thoroughly by a veterinarian. Some additional tests may be required such as an EKG, chest x-rays, a heart ultrasound and blood testing. The ultrasound may be of a particular benefit because your vet will be able to measure the extent of your dog's heart murmur. It will be a definitive test to see what the cause of the underlying heart disease may be. It is extremely important to have the cause of your pooch's heart condition diagnose because there are some instances where heart murmurs are treatable by either surgery or medication. You will have to find out just how expensive these various treatments may be so that you will not be surprised by a very high vet bill. You may be pleasantly surprised at the prices some vets have.

If your dog has a congenital heart murmur, then surgery may be indicated. On the other hand, it may be necessary to give your pup certain kinds of medication may be because non-congenital heart murmurs are often an underlying symptom of congestive heart failure in dogs. You will not know how to proceed until you have consulted with the proper veterinarian and received advice regarding your dog's health. You should not leave symptoms like these to chance simply because not every heart murmur is benign and there could be serious changes occurring in the heart of your dog.

It is very important that you share any questions or concerns with your vet especially when it comes to your pooch's lifestyle and physical condition. If the diagnosis from your general veterinarian does not suit you, perhaps you should seek out a specialist for your dog. You could either go to an internist or a veterinary cardiologist. These vets have specialized training and they probably have a great deal of expertise in this field and other issues that you may have with your dog.




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