Heart Murmur

[jamiewilson]

Good Evening! My boxer baby Belle is 5 months old. She's white and non-hearing which is why we adopted her. Her breeder told us she had a grade 2 heart murmur. Does anyone have experience with this and have you ever done anything to help remedy this issue? I've heard wonderful things about something called PetAlive, but I'd like to hear from other boxer parents before deciding on a course of action. Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Gatorblu]

I was hoping someone who has dealt with a puppy heart murmur was going to answer. I haven't dealt with this, and I don't know how the grade effects things. I do know that some puppies out grow their murmurs, and I hope that is the case for your Belle. Unfortunately boxer are notorious for their cardiac problems. If you have a veterinary cardiologist in your area, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get your pup in and get an good evaluation of what exactly is going on. With heart issues the earlier you know what is going on the better you are able to treat it.

It was so nice of you to adopt a special needs dog. I am sure she is a lovely pup. I hope you will post a picture of her the Show Off Forum. Most of us are suckers for puppies!

 

[Jan]

Fortunately, I haven't ever had to deal with heart issues, so I am far from an expert.

I wonder who diagnosed you dog with a grade 2 heart murmur. If it was the breeders regular vet, chances are the grade may not be accurate. Most vets do not have the skill to diagnose the grade of a heart murmur. Also, many puppy murmurs go away as they get older.

As Gatorblu suggested, I would have her see a cardiologist for an accurate diagnoses.

Good luck!

 

[mistydwilson]

Her breeder told us she had a grade 2 heart murmur. Does anyone have experience with this and have you ever done anything to help remedy this issue?

Our girl, Kringle, has a heart murmur. It was found by our regular vet when she was a puppy. Our vet referred us to a cardiologist, who did an ultrasound of her heart when she was probably 3-4 months old. The cardiologist wanted to see whether the chambers and valves looked normal. Lucky for us, everything looked good. The cardiologist gave it a grade but I don't remember what it was. Our vet listens for it when she goes for her regular checkups, and sometimes the vet can her the murmur and sometimes she can't. Kringle is 8 1/2 yrs old now and has not had anything else done for the murmur. No medications, no follow-up ultrasound. She has had a normal, active life.

Good luck with your baby!

 

[Cami]

Both of my girls have had heart murmurs diagnosed at 9 weeks of age. One went on to pass away from heart related issues and one is still with me and medicated for the same condition.

A murmur is a symptom of a problem. It isn't the actual problem. You can't do anything to correct a murmur minus if it is an issue with a deficiency of *something* that you can supplement and correct the deficiency....(rare)

A true puppy murmur (innocent) typically corrects itself by 16 weeks of age. They can last longer and still be innocent (no known cause) but it isn't common.

A grade 2 murmur should be diagnosed in a dog that is 5 months old AND a Boxer.

A simple ultrasound can take a peek at the heart (shape & size) and see how it is functioning. It can determine things like stenosis with the aorta, mitral valve issues, etc....both of which can create murmurs.

My girl Raine had an ultrasound at 9 weeks of age and stenosis was spotted (narrowing of the artery). Another at 6 months of age (still present) and then again at 3 years of age (she needed to be fully grown to determine the severity of the issue). She was "cleared" at 3 years of age of any potential future problem in this area. She had a bit of stenosis however it appears as if this is *normal* for a Boxer and should not cause her any issues as she ages.

During that same check up it was determined that she also has Boxer cardiomyopathy (ARVC). She is medicated, kept a close eye on (frequent testing) and doing well. Her murmur is still present and is a grade 2/3 out of 6.

Don't hesitate to find the cause of the murmur. It could be the difference between life and death.

 

[TysonCheeto]

I just wanted to say you are so awesome for loving her and taking her on regardless of her hearing issues and her murmur. A lot of boxers with those issues end up in a shelter or rescue because of their issues but your extremely incredible and good luck to you on your journey with her I'm sure you will have the absolute best relationship with her regardless what hurdles you climb