My dog takes Metacam for arthritis. Can it cause a new heart murmur?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You can rest assured that you did not cause your dog's heart murmur! Heart murmurs can occur because of structural changes to the valves or chambers of the heart, which are relatively common in smaller dogs breeds. They can also occur because of anemia (low red blood cell number), infections in the heart, and unfortunately even tumors in heart. You are right in thinking that dogs with heart murmurs are at a higher risk of anesthetic complications, so your veterinarian will need to adjust their anesthetic protocol for any surgical or dental procedures. I hope this is helpful!

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 am sorry to hear about Tasha! Many dogs take NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) long term with no negative consequences. It is the rare case where the liver or kidney may be affected or the GI tract experiences upset. This is why we recommend blood work to monitor every 6 to 12 months when pets take the medicine long term, and often the effects are reversible. If your dog is in pain, I would follow your vet's advice and use the medication. There are other NSAIDs also available, a newer one called Galliprant is supposed to have less risks though it hasn't been used as long, so we don't know for certain if those claims are true. Other options also include omega fatty acid supplements, glucosamine chondroitin supplements, Adequan injections, acupuncture and laser therapy, so you can ask your vet about these options as well if you decide to take a different route.

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! If well-tolerated, the Metacam should not shorten her lifetime. I would recommend you continue to monitor the bloodwork closely to make sure that it is being well tolerated in which case it should not affect her life expectancy. Best of luck!

A check up (or more descriptive post on the forum) is absolutely needed to determine the origin of the discomfort/pain and to be able to give you more specific advices. Usually heart diseases are not painful and does not cause discomfort so the two problems are unlikely to be related.

Actually, it is the Tramadol that, in dogs who are prone to seizures, can cause seizures. Metacam is an NSAID, and does not usually cause seizures. You should consult with your veterinarian whether Metacam is suitable for your dog (it should not be given to dogs with kidney issues, for example) and if so for a proper dosage. Please do not just stop giving Tramadol and start Metacam out of your own account.