Heart Murmur

A lot of dogs live their whole lives with a heart murmur. Some don't and some develop it over time as they get older. Do you know where the murmur is? What the heart rate is? Or any information the vet gave you will help to shed some light on what you really have on your hands. If you can post that info I may be able to help from there. Although I am not a veterinarian I have quite a bit experience with heart murmurs in animals. A heart murmur could be nothing but it could not be at the same time.
 
Of course she suggested a cardiologist but it is hard to say if it is really necessary. What is going to happen after the cardiologist visit is that depending on where the murmur is....they will recommend surgery to correct it which is HUGE $$$$. I hope you have pet insurance if you choose that route. The radiograph should of told them where the murmur is and that is what the cardiologist will do....kinda a catch 22 eh? Anyways...any info you have will help me to give you some information to make an informed decision. Don't panic yet, it could be nothing.

Thank you so much for your response! It is on the left side (our vet thinks) as heart murmur's don't show up on x-rays other than an enlarged heart...which Zoe had.

On the x-ray the main things the vet pointed out, was that her trachea was slightly straighter (more horizontal) from her heart pushing up on it, and that (from a side on view...Zoe's left side) there was less room on the right side of her heart to her other organs, like a bulge.

She was not that worried about it, and after Zoe being fine last night on our walk I'm feeling a little better. The main things she said was to just watch her, which makes me the most nervous. I'm feeling paranoid about everything, her coughs, her panting or acting tired etc. That is where I feel unsure, especially since Zoe can act so different. Some days she will act tired, other days she can go forever and is pulling the whole time!

The vet also said that out of 6 beats, she heard the different sound (probably a murmur) on 2 of those beats.

Thank you so much sierra!

I've just recently had one of my girls don at a clinic..there are many accross the country which an aucillation will only cost you about $25-$35. Of course if you need to have an echo done it will run $160-$220 but an echo doesn't have to be done unless the cardiologist feels there is an issue like a disease.
 I have had cardioligists tell me they heard something and suggest an echo, I opted for a second opinion and the echo was not needed, the orig cariologist could diferentiate between breath sounds and a true murmer(you do this by holding the nose) I learned this many years ago when I first started getting my dogs certified by the head of the U of Penn.
Depending on where you live you can find clinics here which will be a good start and save you some $$$
 
[linkhttp://www.offa.org/clinics.html]http://www.offa.org/clinics.html[/link]
 
Good luck!
 
Keep us posted

Thanks so much, I'll definetly look into it.

Fred my basset was not born with a HM although as he got older the Vet noticed he had a mild one about age 6. Well he is now 10 going to be 11 and this past month the HM is now about a 5 out of 6. We took him for an ultrasound and it came back that he doesn't need meds or treatment at this time. Fred is so playful and looks great for his age, we need to just keep an eye on him. I am going to read more about them just to keep me informed of what to look for as far as any changes in behavior.

If your vet is not worried about it, I wouldn't worry too much. If she can only hear 2/6 murmurs in the heart rate it is most likely not a big deal. From what you explained and me trying to picture it....I couldnt really do it because the heart is a confusing structure. I uploaded a diagram of it and I hope this helps a little bit.
 
Heart murmurs happen in the tricuspid or mitral valves. These open and close making the "lub-dub" sound that we or doctors would hear on the stethascope. They function abnormally when there is a heart murmur. As far as the "swelling" goes it could be abnormal fluid accumulation in the myocardium, or pericardial cavity (these are like sacs that line the heart and collect fluid). Hard to say again since I am not a vet but this diagram will be good for you to check out, label where the problems were and do some research of your own if you are still concerned.
 
Hope this helps!