Heart Murmur

[kevin earl]

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hi all

just thought i would add an update on my whippet from the last problem we had with him at xmas with the cruciate lig , he is now walking on the leg without the op as i decided not to have the op done and give him rest , read a few blogs by vets and info on the success of ops very varied. anyway he started snorting and coughing last few weeks and took him to vets and had an x ray and now diagnosed with grade 4 murmur and tablets to take vetmedin and frusemide for the fluid , so he has gone to the dogs since xmas but he is happy in himself so no reason he cant fulfill his life, so hope he will

 

[whippet wonder]

What a shame, at least you've spotted it and he's receiving treatment for it.....

 

[BeeJay]

Sorry to read that your boy is having more health problems Kevin.

I hope that the heart meds keep the heart disease managable for many more years to come. I've heard from several whippet owners whose dogs are on the same meds as yours is and their dogs are doing very well.

My deerhound started on them Saturday and today he seems to be much more comfortable and I can find a pulse.

 

[SJM]

So sorry to hear about your poor dog. Sounds like he's had a rotten time recently. Hope he's well on the way to feeing better on the medication.

:b

Forgive my ignorance but what is a grade 4 heart murmer? Is it more or less serious than a grade 1 or 2 for example?

 

[dragonfly]

I had a lovely old female whippet with a grade 4 heart murmur who survived on medication from age 10 to 15. She lived a full life. The prognosis should be good for your whippet

Good Luck :luck:

Cathie

 

[BeeJay]

So sorry to hear about your poor dog. Sounds like he's had a rotten time recently. Hope he's well on the way to feeing better on the medication.

:b

Forgive my ignorance but what is a grade 4 heart murmer? Is it more or less serious than a grade 1 or 2 for example?

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4 is worse than a 1 or 2. I think (not sure) that once they have a 4 then heart meds are normally prescribed. With a 1, 2 or 3 then they don't have to take heart meds just be checked annually in case it worsens. BUT you do have to be careful of the grade of heart murmur your vet says your dog has. For example last Wednesday I was told by one vet that Tally deerhound had a 3 or maybe a 2.

The same dog saw a very experienced sighthound vet at the weekend was diagnosed with a grade 5.

 

[Shadow Dancer]

I had a lovely old female whippet with a grade 4 heart murmur who survived on medication from age 10 to 15. She lived a full life. The prognosis should be good for your whippetGood Luck :luck:

Cathie

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Hope he feels better soon

Our old Shih-Tzu tetley has a grade 5 murmur and the vet hasn't medicated her - she is almost 13, walks every day and rules the house!

Lacks a bit of weight but that seems to be the only problem with her

Julie

 

[kevin earl]

hi all

thanks to everyone for the kind words, anyway re the murmur , vet says its not too bad a 4 but keep him on short walks , not easy if he sees a rabbit, but i might give mary lowe a ring to her as well as he is a nimrodel from her litter , did mention to mary when he was a pup that the vet mentioned a murmur when he examined him just after we got him but mary said it was the vet as most vets dont know whippets heartbeats but anyway it only started after the leg problem so maybe exra strain hopping about on 3 brought it on, but not to worry as he is perfect in all other ways so will se what happens, also noticed on a website that whippets can get this condition similar to horses when they are fit they sometimes can show signs of murmurs. anyway the tablets shpould kick in in a week

 

[nigel22205]

fyi Royal Veterinary Collage in London is doing a long term study on heart murmurs. Pudding is enlisted. He has mild heart murmur. The vets there say no reason for concern assuming he is running fine with no coughing or tiredness.