FACTS ABOUT HEART MURMURS & VALVE DISORDERS
Includes Birthday Treat Recipe – scroll to bottom
Today my little Valentine celebrates her twelfth birthday! Reese is a puppy mill rescue who has, had a heart condition for as long as we’ve had her.
My Precious Heart
Although it is scary to learn that your dog has a murmur or any other condition, we hope to share some information that proves that many dogs carry on without ‘missing a beat.’ Reese is one such dog.
The murmur itself is not a disease; it is a specific sound detected when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. It is the sound of extra vibrations of the heart produced as a result of a disturbance in the blood flow. The blood is flowing faster than normal within the heart itself or in one of the two major arteries leaving the heart. In Reese’s case, it sounds like a faint woooshhh, wooshhh, wooshhh sound.
Heart murmurs in dogs can develop at any stage of their life. The implication, however, can be very different depending on the age of the dog when the murmur is first detected.
Often, the murmurs are graded based on a variety of characteristics, including their timing and volume. A grade one murmur, for example, is subtle, and a grade six murmur is loud. Reese’s murmur is currently a grade two. They can change over time, so it is important for your vet to monitor your companion.
Systolic murmurs occur when the heart muscle contracts; diastolic murmurs occur between beats when the heart muscle relaxes, and continuous
to-and-fro murmurs occur throughout all or most of the cardiac cycle.
Grading Scale for Heart Murmurs in Dogs (Pet MD)
Grade 1—barely audible
Grade 2—soft, but easily heard with a stethoscope
Grade 3—intermediate loudness; most murmurs which are related to the mechanics of blood circulation are at least grade three
Grade 4—loud murmur that radiates widely, often including opposite side of chest
Grade 5—very loud, audible with stethoscope barely touching the chest; the vibration is also strong enough to be felt through the animal’s chest wall
Grade 6—very loud, audible with stethoscope barely touching the chest; the vibration is also strong enough to be felt through the animal’s chest wall
What causes murmurs:
Heart defects and infectious, inflammatory or other disease processes are the cause of murmurs. Endocarditis (mitral valve disease) is an inflammatory change of the tissues lining the heart chambers and valves and is a common cause of canine cardiac disease. Stenosis is a narrowing or constriction of an artery or vein that causes increased turbulence of blood flow in the affected area. Dysplasia is an abnormality of development, such as some alteration in size, shape, organization or structure (often occurring at birth).
Other causes of heart murmurs include damage to the muscle. For example, a hole or tear in the interior wall separating the heart chambers. At birth, this could appear as the failure of an important blood passageway closing in the fetal heart. Other causes may include Cardiomyopathy (a primary disease of the heart muscle), Infection due to heartworm disease, Hyperthyroidism, and anemia.
Signs of a Heart Murmur:
Dogs and cats with heart murmurs may show no signs and, as was the case with Reese, the murmur was first detected during a routine examination by her veterinarian.
Depending on the grade, and configuration and association with structural heart disease, your dog’s initial symptoms may only be apparent to your vet. Later on, however, you may notice some coughing, exercise intolerance, or weakness, rapid breathing, and possibly fainting. Our vet advised us to keep an eye on the colour of Reese’s tongue. If it starts to turn even slightly purple, we give her a time out from fetch.
Treatment:
Many murmurs never require medical attention, even if they are pronounced. Causes of minor murmurs are often managed with exercise (may need to be reduced), and diet. Medication or surgery may be necessary if symptoms worsen or for severe heart conditions.
Medication may be required to reduce the burden on the heart and improve function. Medications may also be prescribed to help control blood pressure and fluid retention.
Heart murmurs can occur in both dogs and cats.
Ten years after we rescued her, Reese still wants to play fetch 24/7 and requires no medication for her condition!
As part of the celebrations, we are happy to share these Valentine’s Day/Birthday treats with you.
Recipe courtesty of our friends at GoldenDailyScoop.com
1/2c natural greek yogurt
1 banana
1 cup of strawberries
blend, pour into silicone pan, freeze and serve
Enjoy!
Happy 12th Valentine Birthday, Reese! You look fantastic for your age and we are so happy that you are doing well! Your valentine hearts look darling, we hope you enjoy them and have the best birthday ever! Thanks for sharing our recipe! xoxo
Golden Daily Scoop recently posted…Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s day Reese!
Thank you, Audrey!
A very informative post about heart murmurs. I’ve know humans that are affected by them, but honestly didn’t know much about heart murmurs in detail. I’m happy to hear that Reese has not been too affected by this and is doing well at 12 years of age!
Happy birthday Reese!
Happy Happy 12th Reese!!! My former cat was diagnosed with a heart murmur when he was about 12…….he lived 18 wonderful years!
Very valuable info on heart murmurs – thank you! I’m glad that Reese is doing well all these years later. And those treats look delicious!
What a great recap of this condition, thanks for sharing! Important to keep track of the issue and glad Reese is doing wll.
Thanks for such a thorough and informative post. It’s true, the first time you hear the words “heart murmur” you start to panic. I learned awhile ago not to do that because several of my dogs and cats have had it, and they lived (and some are still living) happy, pretty healthy and love filled lives.
Hindy Pearson recently posted…Vestibular Disease in Senior Dogs
Happy birthday. I have a cavalier, so it’s always about being heart-healthy and seeing the cardiologist every year to keep an eye on his heart.
Tonya Wilhelm recently posted…Dog-Friendly Vacations | Dog-Friendly Manchester, Vermont | Wilburton Inn
I appreciate the informative article on heart murmur. I actually grew up with a heart murmur and then my first cat had one. Hers was controllable until her last year, when she also developed kidney issues.
Happy birthday to your sweet buddy! She seems full of life and happy. Thank for having many years ago given a home to a puppy mill rescue.
Thank you, Allison, for sharing your experiences and for the Birthday wishes!
I hope Reese had a lovely birthday celebration! I am glad that her heart murmur isn’t much cause for concern. Those treats look delicious!
Beth recently posted…Happy Tails: Knightley the Pekingese Mix
Happy 12th Gotcha Day and Happy Valentines Day, thanks for the great info
I know when a person gets a heart murmur they worry – so it must be a worry for pet owners too. People nowadays come online for exactly the informatin you give here, sensible and encouraging. I think people will find it reassuring that there is not an instant and large amount of medication to be given too (the cost!).
Thank you for a really useful post.
Dash Kitten Crew recently posted…That Rose Cost HOW MUCH? Dusty’s Cat Spa Day
Happy 12th birthday! That’s honestly amazing – no medication! I remember learning about the grading scale as a tech in school. This is a super important topic as it’s very confusing to owners and knowing the signs and causes is half the battle. The color of the tongue is a great tip for owners. Thank you for sharing and happy 12th — sweet senior!
Happy Birthday Reese. Hope you get lots of games of fetch and treats (those Valentine’s ones look yummy and healthy). Glad you are still ticking along strong.
Talent Hounds recently posted…20 Dog Photos To Put You In The Christmas Spirit-Instagram Spotlight
I need to find itty bitty tiny hearts …
Every tiny bit of that your knowledge is really really important to me, because I can pass it on to our vets and Peru who lack a lot of knowledge. Thanks for this will research blog!
Thank you. I hope it will be helpful to your organization.
Very much like humans – a great post about heart murmurs. When we’ve adopted seniors we learned a lot about heart murmurs – and once you understand and manage accordingly, it’s quite easy. Reese is a lucky pup – Happy Birthday!
Rebecca at MattieDog recently posted…10 Must Have Tools When Cooking For Your Dog
Happy 12th birthday Reese. We’re happy to hear you are still going strong after all of these years.
Sweet Purrfections recently posted…Wordless Wednesday
Happy Birthday! Mr. N’s heart has always checked out fine but I’m going to have some extra questions at his next vet visit!
Tenacious Little Terrier recently posted…My Five Favorite Positive Training Tools for Dogs
It’s always good to check and ask questions.
Thank you for this great information! I’m pinning it so it will help others. It’s so scary, but awareness & knowing the signs to watch out for are critical. I bet Reese thoroughly enjoyed her Valentine’s treats! I love this recipe, yours came out beautiful! You must use a really nice moulding pan! I love how they look!
Love & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Cathy Armato recently posted…Be A Ninja Road Tripper With Your Dog
Thanks Cathy. The mould is from BulkBarn!
Happy 12th birthday, Resse! I’m g;lad to hear that heart murmur doesn’t have much effect on her recently. Keep fighting Resse. I hope you live happily and well in many many years ahead.
Annie Anderson recently posted…Is Your Cat Meowing A Lot? 7 Surprising Reasons Why! (#3 will make you think)
Thank you Annie. Reese is a happy girl and will definitely continue to play fetch for as long as she is able.
Reading this post reminds me of our dear dog, Mochi. He had been with us for nearly 10 years and he suddenly passed away last year. Hope he rest in peace in heaven. Anyway, happy birthday to Reese!
Kristi Cathey recently posted…7 Steps On How To Clean The Medela Tubing
Thank you Kristi. I’m sorry to hear about Mochi.
Hi Sadie, your blog is very informative about the heart murmurs. I’m pretty sure that many people love the pets but didn’t aware about the fact of heart murmurs. Your blog is very useful to them. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kate. I hope my post is of some comfort to anyone who learns their companion has a murmur.