Should I adopt a rescue dog with a minor heart murmur if vet says monitor?

This would need to be discussed with the treating vet but such a significant heart murmur will require ongoing management and lifelong medication which is not inexpensive. It is likely to have an impact on both overall life expectancy and exercise intolerance, the underlying heart disease cannot be cured and symptomatic treatment aims to reduce the severity of the symptoms and slow down progression. If finance (or a very active lifestyle) is a concern then you should think very carefully before adopting such a dog.

Congrats on your new pet! Adoption is a wonderful thing. When Winston sees your veterinarian, discuss diagnostics to confirm and establish a baseline for his condition. Common tests may include chest x-rays to assess cardiac size and an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to assess cardiac architecture and function. The echo, more than any other diagnostic, will determine if he will need medication to manage his condition. You can read more about cardiac conditions at this link: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/HeartDisease.cfm

Most puppies with grade 1 heart murmurs have these due to physiologic changes that they grow out of. However, there are some heart conditions that can start as a grade 1 murmur which can progressively worsen over time. Odds are in your favor that Nelson would grow out of this murmur and that it is insignificant. There is always that off chance that he has a more severe condition. Consider asking the breeder to include progression of heart disease (indicated by a worsening murmur) in the contract, in that if it does progress, you could return Nelson (unless you believe that you will get too attached). This is not an easy decision without a definitive right or wrong answer.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your potential new puppy. Young puppies can occasionally have what is known as an innocent murmur. This is a heart murmur they will outgrow usually by 6 months of age and is not associated with any ongoing disease. Other murmurs are associated with congenital heart disease and go on to cause the puppy significant disease. I recommend having the puppy evaluated by a board certified veterinary cardiologist. A procedure known as an echocardiogram will likely be needed to assess for any structural heart disease. This will give you the longterm prognosis for the puppy. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, that would be considered an emergency. The main reason is that dogs with heart murmurs and heart disease can develop congestive heart failure which is a medical emergency that would warrant evaluation as soon as possible for Maya. The veterinarian would be able to check for this possibility and treat accordingly. Usually if congestive heart failure is confirmed, she may need oxygen therapy, diuretic medications and medications to make her heart work better. Good luck! Wishing Maya the best!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Regarding the heart murmur, I would monitor him for any signs of coughing, lethargy, exercise intolerance or difficulty breathing. These would be signs of heart failure. If you notice these signs, I would encourage you to take Lucky to the vet as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would be reasonable to monitor him. Many dogs with heart murmurs live out many healthy years without problems, so I would not worry until you notice these signs. As far as vaccinations, there are several that are required by law, depending on the state you live in. 3 year vaccines are available, which mean that he doesn't need to be vaccinated more than once every 3 years, but a yearly checkup is still advised to ensure he is healthy. I hope this helps, and that Lucky is doing well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! No, these are not typically performed in animals. Heart murmurs do not always require therapy but when they do, these are most of the time treated with medications. I highly recommend you consider having Murphy evaluated by a veterinary cardiologist to determine if treatment is needed and what would be best for it. Good luck!