My dog has a heart murmur. Is it safe for him to exercise normally?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Restricting activity completely is something I only recommend if the dog is severely affected by the heart disease. Regular mild to moderate exercise it actually thought to be beneficial for dogs that have only mild signs or symptoms of heart disease. I think it is ok for you to take Odin on walks and let him run for short periods of time. If you notice he is tired or breathing heavier, stop exercising him and allow him to rest. If he develops signs of severe heart failure, then exercise could potentially push his heart into cardiac arrest and he could pass away from over exercising. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

I would try to restrict the exercise if possible, in cats it may be difficult to achieve though. Kovu will know how he can do so probably will be more cautious and adapt his exercise automatically if feeling unwell/not so strong and active.

Unfortunately you cannot know if this murmur is permanent or if this is an 'innocent' murmur. Here is an excellent link: vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/heart-murmurs-in-dogs If the murmur does not go away on it's own by 5-6 months of age, it's likely not an innocent murmur and in that scenario, it would require a cardiac work up to determine the cause of the murmur and any continuing implications. At this point too, it's hard to know if this is just Colt's personality or if this is related to the murmur. I recommend to have him checked by the veterinarian to get a better idea of what is happening and to document the murmur so you can keep tabs on it. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there! A murmur just means an abnormal sound was detected when the vet listened to the heart with his/her stethoscope - it can be caused by many different things. The most common heart problems in dogs that could cause a heart murmur would include valvular insufficiency (a "leaky" mitral valve, usually), aortic or pulmonic stenosis (narrowing of the opening to the aorta or pulmonary artery), or dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart becomes stretched out and doesn't contract strongly anymore. Most of the heart problems we see in veterinary medicine are not correctable by surgery, and open-heart surgery of the type that is done on humans is not done in veterinary patients - so unfortunately this isn't an option. To determine what is causing the murmur and see if any treatment is needed, I would recommend talking to your veterinarian about chest x-rays and an ultrasound of the heart, called an echocardiogram. These tests are needed to diagnose the specific problem that is causing the murmur, and will guide treatment decisions from there depending on what is found.

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!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Tracker has a heart murmur. Dogs can have heart murmurs for a number of reasons (physiologic murmurs, murmurs due to anemia or low red blood cell count), but the most common cause is due to a structural issue with the heart. This is most often associated with the heart valves. A murmur occurs because the valves aren't functioning properly, causing the blood flow to be more turbulent and produce an audible sound (when ausculted with a stethoscope). An ultrasound of the heart (called an echocardiogram) allows a veterinarian to look at the structure of the heart and determine the degree of dysfunction in any of the valves. Some dogs do not require medication if the structural issues are mild, but if they are severe, your veterinarian may recommend certain medications to help Tracker's heart function the best it can and therefore keep him alive and well as long as possible. I hope this is helpful!

I would try not to get too worked up until you figure out exactly what is going on. Some dogs have heart murmurs at young ages but commonly will grow out of them. I would try to see what could be causing the murmur and see what they recommend. If they recommend something you cannot afford, ask them to give you other options that are within your budget. If Darwin is really active and acting like a puppy, he likely isn't bothered by his heart murmur. I would be hesitant to put him under anesthesia without a full cardiac echo (ultrasound) to find out exactly where the heart murmur is coming from. I hope this helps and I hope there is nothing too serious with that sweet baby's heart!