puppy heart murmurs

[Aescleah]

i know this breed has some heart issues so lets look at a puppy who just came home  from a breeder goes to the vet  and low and behold the vet says the puppy has a heart murmur  where do we go from here.  i am going to put out some more links cause i am learning about all this too any experts or anyone who has dealt with this please chime in at any time. this must be a horrible thing to deal with because of all the unknowns. i will be adding more links as i read through things

 

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2488&S=1

 

http://www.dogsymptomscure.com/dog-heart-murmur-symptoms.php

 

http://www.2ndchance.info/heart.htm

 

i think anyone who has had this issue come up really needs to investigate not only is this murmur going to cause health  issues but can this condition be passed on to its progeny as well

Ashley

[Leah]

It is very possible the heart murmur can be caused by worms!  Check the poop....they ALWAYS come home from breeder with worms even when they have been de-wormed.

[Marco]

Thanks for putting this info together Ashley!

[James Dillon]

The most common congenital (at birth) cardiac abnormality in dogs is called patent ductus arteriosis. It is a communication between the aorta and pulmonary artery (the two main heart vessels) that facilitates blood flow in a fetus, but should close at birth. The murmur caused by a PDA is "machinery like". I know describing it that way probably doesn't help until you hear it but you can probably look up the sound online and your vet should be able to hear it on auscultation (listening to the heart). PDA can cause a range of symptoms including fatigue, poor growth, and eventually an early death. Sometimes a PDA may close on its own (in a puppy). If it does not, it can be surgically corrected either by ligation of the patent ductus or by the insertion of coils that close the ductus. In any case, though heritability is complicated, a dog with a patent ductus should not be bred even after the PDA is fixed. The paring of its parents should also probably not be repeated. See your vet for more info and have your puppy checked for this condition shortly after purchase! This is the type of thing an ethical breeder will work with you on and indeed information they will want to know so they can adjust their breeding practices/pairings accordingly!

[Lee May]

Well said James, it is still painful to go through if it doesn't close. Thanks for sharing. Peace Lee

[Marco]

James, thanks for taking the time to provide the information you shared with the group.