11 month old with irregular heartbeat

[mikeroe]

Hi everyone,

Our 11 month old, Romeo, seems to have an irregular heartbeat. My wife is a nurse so she listened to his heart last night while he was resting (almost asleep) and said his heartbeat was very irregular.

I've read that dogs have a normal amount of irregularity in their heartbeats that coincide with their breathing. Humans don't, our hearts should beat like clocks.

Is it normal for a 10 month old Boxer to have such an irregular heartbeat? Should I be really worried and get him to a vet? I let him run loose in the field across from our house, do I have to limit his exercise?

As a side note, the breeder we got him from guaranteed the dog for heart, cancer, tumours, etc. for 2 years. But Romeo is now a family member and my 5 year old son's best friend. I'm not about to give him up because of a heartbeat.

Any advice or suggestions would be very welcome. Thanks!

 

[Shakira's Ma]

I would say that your best bet would be to take him to the vets. I don't know if there are differences between a dog's and human's heartbeats but a vet would surely know. Haven't you had him to a vet prior to this for shots and neutering? I would think that a vet would have said something by now about his heartbeat if it were irregular.

 

[mikeroe]

We've had him to the vet's numerous times. First exam, then he ate a sock (silly pup!) and then just a few months ago to have him neutured. Maybe I'm over-cautious. I would think the vet would have noticed this before.

I really hope I'm just being paranoid.

 

[Shakira's Ma]

You can never be too cautious when it comes to our babies. If you feel uneasy about the "irregular heartbeat" then I would suggest that you take him back to the vet and let the vet focus on that. Boxers are known for heart conditions so I don't think that you are being paranoid, just a cautious, caring pet owner.

 

[gmacleod]

I would certainly seek a second opinion, preferably from a different vet. Boxers are prone to a couple of rather serious heart conditions (aortic/subaortic stenosis and a form of cardiomyopathy) which are by no means rare. Young puppies often have murmurs, but if they're going to outgrow them, they usually have done so well before 11 months. You can read a little more about inheritable heart conditions in boxers, and the tests available to diagnose them on our health testing page www.boxerworld.com/health_testing or on the American Boxer Club site www.americanboxerclub.org

 

[mikeroe]

Thanks for the input and the links. I think I'll be going to my parent's vet to see what he says.

 

[Albie]

I think a trip to the vet would be worthwhile. My 4 month old puppy has dilated cardiomyopathy, and it went undiagnosed at 2 well puppy visits at the vet. It wasn't until she was in a crisis that we learned of her problem. From that experience, I would always recommend a trip to the vet if there is any concern about the heart. Also, if the vet recommends a visit with the cardiologist, don't hesitate to go.