My dog has a heart murmur, is sneezing and pacing. Is it serious?

Most dogs with a heart murmurs are fine and symptom free, there is no way to know for sure but when she is a little older you can ask your vet to refer you to a cardiology specialist to have a few tests done to check if her heart is in healthy condition.

I'm concerned the congestion could be due to Chloe's heart disease. As time goes on, heart disease does get worse. Sneezing could be due to irritation to her nasal passages. I'd have her seen by a vet in the morning for this.

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!

Poor Lady! I'm sorry that she's been sneezing - but the good news is, it's far more likely that she has a simple respiratory infection vs. something serious or life-threatening. If she's current on her vaccinations and acting normal otherwise, there's virtually no chance that she has distemper - this is mainly a disease of unvaccinated puppies, and affected dogs are extremely sick. Nasal tumors do occur in dogs, but would be statistically unlikely in a fairly young dog like Lady. We worry more about a tumor if there is sneezing that has been going on for weeks or months at a time with no improvement, especially with foul-smelling green or yellow discharge, or bleeding from the nose. I would recommend having her examined by a vet to help determine the problem, and hopefully put your mind at ease. If she does have an infection, your vet can prescribe antibiotics or other medication if needed to treat the problem and make sure that the sneezing resolves.

Tiny Tim is a little old man and just like in people old dogs can get congestive heart failure. Having fluid in his chest, coughing at night while sleeping, exercise intolerance can certainly point towards such a congestive condition. Of course he could also have contracted an upper respiratory infection or inhaled a foreign body that is now stuck somewhere in the upper airways. You should take Tiny Tim to your veterinarian for a geriatric exam. A respiratory infection is usually treated with antibiotics and sometimes anti-inflammatories, A foreign body needs to be found and removed, and if a heart condition is diagnosed, he will be prescribed diuretics and medication to help the heart do its job more effectively. Your vet will want to do blood tests and an x-ray of the chest.

From this description, I'm worried about a heart murmur. An heart murmur is turbulent blood flow in the heart and if it's severe enough you can actually hear it or feel it from the outside. This can lead to congestive heart failure. I would recommend scheduling a vet appointment tomorrow morning, or going to an emergency clinic if he is breathing rapidly (more than 30 breaths a minute while resting) very lethargic, or his gums look pale. Best of luck

It is hard to say the exact cause of her breathing. I would be concerned about a possible upper respiratory infection, pneumonia, heart disease, heartworm disease or pain. I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian for a good listen to her chest and possible chest x-rays.