Had her heart murmur checked on...

Unfortunately blood tests won't tell you what is causing the murmur. Any of the 4 valves could be abnormal (either stenotic or insufficient), or there could be a VSD/ASD/PDA. The only time you would see lab evidence of cardiac disease is if it is severe enough to cause CHF and then you would see likely elevated liver enzymes, hyponatremia, sometimes increased creatinine/BUN, and if it's really bad there will be acidosis from poor perfusion. The only way to know what is causing the murmur is an Echo. It's a hard call because if there are no symptoms now, it's likely it's an innocent murmur (meaning nothing to do), but it could be something that is fixable that could prevent future problems. IMO, if the vet recommended the cards consult, he/she's probably concerned so I would at least get the echo to know what it is. Good luck little dweezil!

I would go for the cardiologist... but more because I'm a "need to know the answer" type person... I prefer to know as much as I can about the problem and what to expect in the future.

How old is your dog?

Thanks you guys.
 
Dweezil is a year and a half old.  I know, I'm concerned that I should get it checked on, but I really (I know this may sound horrible) don't want to make the call so quickly if it really is just an innocent murmur at this time, since she's so young.  The vet wasn't pushing too hard about the cardiologist -- just saying that with any murmur they recommend that you see one so you can monitor the progress of it.
 
It's just a hard call ... ottoluv, do you know what goes on during a cardiologist consult?  Does a consult include tests as well?  Like the "echo"?  Would that run me even farther off the charts than 300 dollars?  I hate to sound like such a cheapo, but I do like to know what I'm spending lots and lots on, and make sure it's necessary (and safe) ...

If its a PDA, then its better to get it checked out sooner rather than later. If you wait too long, they aren't fixable anymore. But at the same time, I think a PDA would have shown up sooner than this...

I don't know... its not like you're jumping to surgery, you're just jumping to finding answers. The cardiologist will put your pup in a quiet room and do a fully physical examination. They'll check the whole body, but they're trained better than anyone else to hear what is going on with the heart. If they think you need more testing, they'll probably recommend a EKG and an echocardiogram, and possible retake x-rays. The echo is basically just a fancy ultrasound, its totally non-invasive. I have no idea if that would cost more than the regular consultation visit costs. You can always call the cardiologist and ask. They should discuss all the tests and what they cost before you do them, so then you'll know exactly what you're getting yourself into and what you will and won't be able to find out from each test.

Probably the most important information you could have is a baseline so you can determine if she's getting worse as time goes by...

t's just a hard call ... ottoluv, do you know what goes on during a cardiologist consult?  Does a consult include tests as well?  Like the "echo"?  Would that run me even farther off the charts than 300 dollars?  I hate to sound like such a cheapo, but I do like to know what I'm spending lots and lots on, and make sure it's necessary (and safe) ...

I'm not sure if the 300 would include the echo, but I would guess it would not. You don't sound like a cheapo, you sound like a normal person who has to be careful with finaces (just like me!!!). Echo's are non-invasive, they are an ultrasound of the heart, they just put some jelly on the chest and place a probe on the skin to get some pictures. Won't hurt a bit It defninately is a hard call, I wish I could give you better advice.

Thank you so so so much for the suggestions and all the really helpful info, you two!  I really appreciate it, and I appreciate the understanding (college student -- being extra careful with finances!).  I'm definitely going to take all of this into consideration, give the cardiologist a call, and hopefully make a really informed decision.  Have a great week ... it's almost halfway over!