I have just taken into my home my new arrival Rhodesian Ridgeback and taking him for his first injection and a check up at the vets, to be told that he has possibly got a heart murmur and they will check him again at 12 weeks. I purchased my pup as one of the top of the litter with a perfect ridge etc with the possible aim to stud him in the future after hip scoring etc. Obviously this will affect his future stud if it turns out to be a murmur, having phoned my breeder with this news I was told that plenty of puppies have heart murmurs and not to worry, but of course being a 'new mum' you do! Should he have been sold at the top price? What does this mean in respect of his future life expectancy? (Please note I wouldn't swop him for the world heart murmur or no heart murmur) Can any body give me any advice?

I don't know anything about heart murmours in puppies but I do know about them in babies. My youngest has a heart murmour (it's bad enough that I can hear it on a stethoscope) and two doctors told me there was nothing wrong with her.

It's quite possible that when her vet checked them over he couldn't hear a murmour, especially if it's a mild one, so I don't think she was wrong to sell him top price. My puppy contract stated that should she develop any health problems that would affect the purpose for which she was bought we would be entitiled to a partial refund.

I hope everything goes ok when you take him back.

Fiona
x x x

Greetings & welcome
This might answer some of your questions Heart Murmurs in dogs

I've had several dogs through my lifetime that had various grades of heart murmurs. Samma had one from when we first got her until we left New Mexico...probably due to the high altitude & stress of thinner oxygen. It's gone now & everything sounds normal.
Pepper, my 8 year old Yorkie, had a low grade heart murmur that gradually got worse as she aged, but she had to be pts when her kidneys failed at age 13.

I have no idea what this does for showing & breeding, but if you are happy to have a pet... relax & enjoy. :D

If you have serious questions about it though, contact your vet. I"m sure that she/he will be helpful in the matter.
good luck & congratulations with your new puppy.
toodles

Just out of interest, what age is your vet? Yes, your vet! I know this sounds daft but in my experience of newly graduated vet students, they think everything has a potential heart murmer, and I would bear it in mind if he (vet) is a bit green & get 2nd opinion from old type vet.

Doesn't sound daft to me, Sam... makes absolute sense. How many of us want a dr. just out of med school???? ;) :)

I think you'll find loads of pups with heart murmurs, that an experienced vet probably wouldn't even bother mentioning. They hear it, know that there will probably never be any problems, and save the owner getting worked up over it. Bit like a small hernia, maybe mostly they dissappear?

I was pretty much saying what Dave said......new vets like to show their immense (and newly aqquired) knowledge....I always reckon if they find a heart murmur & have to mention it then the pup must be pretty healthy & thats the best they can do....we all know how its drummed into young grad vets to slate those awful dog breeding people!

Thanks for the re-assurance.

My vet is in his late forty's but he knows what I have been though loosing my other Ridgeback recently and does not want to keep anything from me, and I perfer it that way I think.

No way would I part with him (dog that is). He part of my family and will always be.

It just makes him a little bit more special that all.

'Chelle.

If it's any help, I had a Goldie a few years ago that had a heart murmer. lived a full and active life to the age of 15 years, he was given regular annual checks and never had medication for it. Ingrid

Dog’s hearts are strange things and it is quite common for one under some sort of stress to show signs of a murmur which is not present when relaxed. I don’t know if there is any cardio myopathy in Ridgebacks though although a good vet or experienced breeder should be able to say.

On the subject of young vets. I hear what Sam is saying and to a certain extent I agree but, and it's a big but, in my experience this is where a lot of the new ideas come from. Fresh out of Vet College full of the latest ideas I'm always happy to see a new vet. (Course I'll soon tell him if I don’t agree!!!!)

Regards John

Chelle

My lab bitch has a murmour and she's an active healthy dog - only thing I have to watch is her weight and we obviously made the decision to have her spayed.

KirstyS
:)

How old is the pup? I think now that more pups are going for their jabs at 8 weeks rather than 10 some late valve closure murmurs are being found, which are gone by the next visit, or as the vet suggested 12 weeks!

If there is no sign of it when you go back I wouldn't worry, unless there is a heart problem in your breed.

A friend has a 12 year old doberman bitch, who has had a heart murmer all her life. She also has underactive Thyroid, and has been on medication all her life, she is the result of pet breeding, and was saved from being drowned with her littermates at 4 weeks old, by her owners. She is likely going to die of Cancer, as she has been diagnosed with multiple cancerous lumps, but she is still enjoying life to the full!

I understand that 12 is a good age for a Dobermann, especially as she has these health issues!

With Boxers we do have some with heart-problems
hence the heart-testing scheme within our breed. (Grade zeros and ones are ok to breed from)
This is normally carried out by vets that specialise in Cardiology.
It is by stethascope (sp?) that they test and grade from zero (best score) to 6 (worst). I think anything that grades 3 and over is referred
for further tests i.e. doppler etc. This testing is done normally at 1 year and older for dogs/bitches to go on the heart-tested clear list.
But you can have younger dogs tested (I have out of curiosity)
On the puppy handout sheets it advises that puppies can have minor flow murmers, I don't have the sheets with me to quote fully. But some of the flow murmers can disappear as the puppy gets older.
If you want your vet should be able to give you the name and phone number of a vet that specialises in cardiology and that can do a doppler test for you (not sure how much it costs).
Kind Regards
Kirstine
PS My old veteran Boxer had a grade 1 murmer and she lived til 10 y.o.
My youngster is 4y.o. and has a grade 1 murmer and her daughter who is 10 months and tested at 8 months old was also a grade 1.

I have myself a new puppy now 12wks old, I was told at 8wks she had a heart murmur and not to worry it would probable clear up by her next injections. That was last week, the heart mumur is still there. The vet then told me he couldn't grade it and couldn't treat it. Not satisfied i went for a second opinion, I've had it graded at 4, i'm now going to see a heart specialist on Monday 19 May to get a diagnosis so hopefully this can be treated! The cost i'm having to pay as the insurance doesn't cover it, surprise surprise! The minimum it will cost is £308.00. I bought the dog from a breeder, with the view to breed of her myself, this is not possible as it is hereditry.

My Boxer has a grade 2 heart murmur (grades 0-6) yet you wouldn't know it. He is as active as any dog
Bec

My Tibetan Mastiff had a heart murmer, she was healthy and active untill 12 years of age,loved walks never stopped her playing

Hi Guest,

I ditto everything everyone has said but would add that if the murmour does not go away , it will need graded etc and would more likely not be suitable for breeding if it can be graded but I am no expert on these things. Hopefully it will come to nothing but if you did buy the dog with stud intentions etc I would keep in contact with the breeder.

One of my relatives recently got a dog with what the breeder said was a slight heart murmour and turn out to be, after going to the dog place in Glasgow and a few bucks later to be 2 holes in the heart.

Fingers crossed the pup will get the all clear shortly.

Pam