My dog has a heart murmur and cough. What's his life expectancy?

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. Heart murmurs do not always progress to heart failure and do not necessarily mean that life expectancy is shortened. There was a trial recently done in multiple countries called the Epic Trial ( www.epictrial.com ). If x-rays have not been done for Toby (of his heart), I would recommend doing so to help establish where he is at in regards to the size of his heart. My dog, that lived until 20 years of age, had a heart murmur from the time he turned 9 years old. For 11 years he had a heart murmur that became louder and louder. He never went into heart failure and he lived a very long and happy life. Just because a dog has a heart murmur does not mean he / she will have a shortened life or go into heart failure. I hope this helps ease your mind. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking him to the vet right away. He may have a back up of fluid into his lungs basically making him feel like he is drowning. I cannot give him a prognosis and tell you how much time he has left without knowing more about his case. You need blood work, X-rays and a possible ultrasound of his heart to know the severity and what is going on right now. If you are unable to do the full work up, discussing euthanasia would not be a bad idea because he is currently suffering. I hope this helps. Good luck and kisses to Baylor!

Hello there! I am sorry to hear about Toby's diagnosis. This is a common condition in a lot of dogs, especially smaller breeds. Without knowing all of the specifics of the testing done on Toby it sounds like you are on the right track since his lungs are clear. Some dogs may need additional medications though. If it hasn't been done already you could request an Echocardiogram ( an ultrasound of his heart) to ensure nothing else is needed. With all that being said, lots of dogs will still cough even if their heart disease is being managed perfectly and this is due to the actual enlargement of the heart (we can't fix that). The enlarged heart will often press up on the bronchus (part of the airways) and this will cause coughing too. If Toby seems to cough a lot and if it interferes with his resting/sleeping a cough suppressant could also be prescribed. It is so hard to predict how long a pet can live with a heart condition as there are so many factors that determine this. I will say that grade 3-4 is middle of the road in severity. So he may be able to live for many years as long as his symptoms are well controlled on his meds. Monitor his cough and if it seems to be getting worse then make sure to see your vet. Another thing you can monitor at home is sleeping respiratory rate (count how many times he breathes in a minute while sleeping). It should be less than 25-30. It's very helpful to check his regularly and keep a log. If Toby's rate is typically 20 and it is slowly creeping up over a few days then this could be a sign of relapse of the fluid in his lungs and would be a sign to get him in to his vet ASAP before it causes his distress. I hope you find this information helpful. I wish you and Toby all the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A grade 4 heart murmur is loud for such a young dog. He should have a chest X-ray, heart worm test and an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) with a cardiologist to diagnosis what is causing the heart murmur. Then you can be provided a prognosis and treatment plan. These tests can be expensive. X-rays cost over $100 and the echocardiogram costs around $4-500. Medications cost depends on what his diagnosis is as does life expectancy. I would see if the rescue can get these done for you prior to adoption. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach! Based on the radiograph you attached, the vertebral heart score (VHS) is on the larger measurement and overall the heart does have increased contact with the sternum. There does not appear to be evidence of heart failure, but I am limited with one x-ray view and no ability to adjust the contrast. I don't know what medication your veterinarian started Bono on but in this case, I would recommend starting omega 3 fish oil, Pimobendan (prescription medication that helps delay on the onset of heart failure and helps the heart pump more efficiently). I would also look into heart supplements such as Standard Process Whole Body Support and Cardiac support (if available in your country). Here is an article from my hospital on heart disease and what to look out for. Mitral valve disease is one of the most common heart conditions we see in dogs. I hope this helps and provides you with more information. If you have any concerns, I would reach out to the veterinarian who has been seeing Bono. https://www.neighborhoodvetclinic.com/degenerative-valve-disease-myxomatous-mitral-valve-disease/

Heart disease is tough. This is true for humans or animals. Pets can quickly go from ok to not ok in minutes. Most forms of heart disease are progressive which means they get worse over time. Signs of worsening heart disease can be increased heart rate and respiratory rate, collapse, exercise intolerance, or coughing. There are many medications that can help improve quality of life. Please see your vet ASAP for an exam and possibly more tests or meds. Hope Boomer feels better!

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!