heart murmur in pups?
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| Not all murmurs are the same and it would take a vet cardiologist to tell the difference. Even then nothing is a certainty. Many pups have heart murmurs and do grow out of them. Think of the body growing at different rates, some slower so there might be a lag in certain parts. I can't guide you, it would take a vet trained in cardiology. |
| Thank you, SheepieBoss, for your reply. I did find an older thread on the same topic. I'll talk to my vet on Monday. I suppose it would make the most sense to take the pup without the murmur if their personality is appropriate. |
| How old were the puppies when they were checked and what kind of vet checked them? Some breeders do puppy heart checks while we're doing eyes and hearing, but that's done by a cardiologist. I had one cardiologist tell me she preferred breeders not test their pups till they're closer to 16 weeks old or so because it's pretty common to hear innocent murmurs in young puppies. In fact, in Mad's litter I think six of eight had slight murmurs at 10 weeks old even. Retested at 16 weeks and they were clear. Retested as adults and got OFA cardiac clearances no problem. In Mace's litter two out of the three had slight murmurs at 9-10 weeks old (clearly I don't learn  But you want to check before they go anywhere) They're 14 months old now and I haven't gotten around to rechecking as I'm not as hysterical as I was last time around, and none went to pet homes. All three will be cardiac OFA'd at some point. Could there be a problem? Yes. A fellow breeder has SAS show up in her line sporadically and has put young puppies down. Obvioiusly vets must be able to distinguish. Was it a board certified cardiologist? Because my regular vet couldn't even pick up the murmurs in my guys on her exams. She says for anything subtle auscultation is an art form. If she could hear them I'd have been a lot more worried. Definitely talk to your vet and see what he or she says. Kristine |
Mad Dog wrote: How old were the puppies when they were checked and what kind of vet checked them? Some breeders do puppy heart checks while we're doing eyes and hearing, but that's done by a cardiologist. I had one cardiologist tell me she preferred breeders not test their pups till they're closer to 16 weeks old or so because it's pretty common to hear innocent murmurs in young puppies. In fact, in Mad's litter I think six of eight had slight murmurs at 10 weeks old even. Retested at 16 weeks and they were clear. Retested as adults and got OFA cardiac clearances no problem. In Mace's litter two out of the three had slight murmurs at 9-10 weeks old (clearly I don't learn But you want to check before they go anywhere) They're 14 months old now and I haven't gotten around to rechecking as I'm not as hysterical as I was last time around, and none went to pet homes. All three will be cardiac OFA'd at some point. Could there be a problem? Yes. A fellow breeder has SAS show up in her line sporadically and has put young puppies down. Obvioiusly vets must be able to distinguish. Was it a board certified cardiologist? Because my regular vet couldn't even pick up the murmurs in my guys on her exams. She says for anything subtle auscultation is an art form. If she could hear them I'd have been a lot more worried. Definitely talk to your vet and see what he or she says. Kristine I can add a little more - Chewie was from the above mentioned 1st litter, and at 16 weeks was clear to auscultation by my vet. (He is really good at heart sounds - he has picked them up on my other dogs when I had no clue, and at early stages.) The Cardiac OFA was clear - "perfect" according to the cardiologist in fact. He was going on and on about how he loved having athletic dogs in great shape come in for testing. This was at a conformation show, so no doubt he had seen his fair share of overweight show dogs already that day ... I was happy we were making his day!Bond was one of the 2 of 3 in Mace's litter - and same thing, at 16 weeks when he came to me and went in to be seen at my vet, he was perfectly clear and normal. So sometime in between he grew up a bit. Fetal circulation to regular circulation involves a transition time, so noting a murmur is really pretty normal - there is always a transitional time in development. So if puppy is young, and the murmur is mild, odds are really good that you are just picking up a murmur in transition. It bears watching of course, but does not need to be (in my book obviously either!) a deal breaker when choosing a puppy. Good luck! |
| My dog had a slight murmur when she was a pup but the vet hasn't heard it now in years and she is four. Hope it works out for you. |
| Well, I took a deep breath and 4 of us drove for 11 hours through a snow storm to pick up our new 8 week old OES pup. The breeder said that the pups with murmurs were the first to be chosen so the last pup (ours) does not have a murmur. I'm still skeptical so I look forward to seeing my favorite Vet for his opinion later this week. Chloe is an amazing little pup. She is fitting in with our human and pet family very nicely. I have two children, girls aged 10 and 13. They are head over heels in love with Chloe. Our Lab and cat might not be so in love but they are very curious and playful with her. Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. I'll post again when I've seen the Vet. |
| Congrats on your new puppy! Pictures! We need puppy pictures!! Laurie and Oscar |
Oscar's Mom wrote: Congrats on your new puppy! Pictures! We need puppy pictures!! Laurie and Oscar DITTO!!!!!  |
HopeForPuppy wrote: I'm still skeptical so I look forward to seeing my favorite Vet for his opinion later this week. Why go ahead if you don't feel comfortable about getting a puppy from this litter? Why not walk away and wait for a litter you feel more comfortable with? Just curious. Kristine |
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