My New Puppy Has A Heart Murmur :(

[Rachelle]

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Hello everyone, I introduced myself a week ago, we have had our adorable little blue whippet called Silver for a week now, I love her too bits!!! She had her first jabs this morning, the vet said she has a heart murmur Im really upset, she did say it could go.. but it may stay, and she may need heart operations and wont live for very long, Im gutted, she said contact the breeder??? Contact the breeder and say what??, there is noway Im parting with my little baby.. Has anybody been through this??.. Or know of a whippet puppy that has?? .. Im starting to panic because the breeder said he would forward the paperwork last week, but I havent received anything, He said that she has Laguna bloodlines... Huff.. I dont know what to make of all this, my husband is trying to reassure me that she will be fine.. Ive attacted some pictures of our little Silver. I would be grateful if anybody can give me advice about our problem .. Thanks x

 

[moonglow]

I've heard of vets saying this before to people with whippet puppies. :angry:

Don't be scared as it's more than likely a load of drivel.Whippet pups often have this & it just goes away!!!

Find a more experienced vet for peace of mind,i'm sure someone can point you in the right direction :thumbsup:

She's a little sweetie :wub:

 

[Hula]

Silver is gorgeous :wub: :wub: :wub:

Never had this problem myelf but I would imagine the vet would want to check her in a month or so to see if the heart murmur is still there .

I have heard of this problem with a boxer pup and the heart murmur went away itself as the pup grew .

One of my whippets developed a heart murmur as an adult but it did not affect her in any way .

Is little Silver insured ?

The paperwork you are waiting for will probably come eventually . I have had to wait for it to arrive previously .

 

[teachtrinity]

awwww she is a sweetie, please try not to worry sighthounds hearts can sound slightly different and can be often misdiagnosed as having a heart murmur, copied this of Wikipedia for you;

The heart of a whippet is large and slow beating, often being arrhythmic or even intermittent when the animal is at rest[4] This sometimes causes concern to the owner, or to the vet not experienced with the breed. Whippets will, however, demonstrate a regular heartbeat during exercise. In a health survey conducted by The Kennel Club (UK) cardiac problems were shown to be the second leading cause of mortality in Whippets.[5] It is not clear, however, whether this is at all related to the breed's somewhat unusual heart function. See athletic heart syndrome.

My old dog Cori, who was a whippet collie x had a heart murmur though, she was diagnosed at 7 months, she lived a long and healthy life, eventually dying at 14 and a half

as others have said though you would be better off finding a vet who knows sighthounds :thumbsup:

 

[Nicola]

I've been a member of K9 for a long time and I've lost count of the number of new owners who have posted, saying how worried they were that their new pup had been diagnosed with a heart murmer. As far as I can make out it is either a common 'misdiagnosis' or it 's something fairly common to the breed but 8 times out of 10 it doesn't cause any real problems and the whippets go on to lead a long life. My Fred was diagnosed with an irregular heart beat by one vet (and a heart murmer as a pup), and I was told not to worry by another vet who was more experienced with greyhounds and whippets. My whippet is now nearly 14 years old...

I'd get a second opinion in a few months if it's still worrying you...with a more experience sighthound vet. :thumbsup:

 

[gilliwigs]

Agree with all of the above. My 4 year old whippet has a heart murmer although when I questioned the vet about it she seemed to think it was a 'proper' heart murmur not a whippet one. However, the vet said that that if it was going to be a problem then it would have manifested itself by the time he was 1. He's very active and doesn't appear to have any problem at all. I just need to watch out for a cough or tiredness. So I wouldn't worry too much about your puppy, who is absolutely gorgeous! :wub:

 

[FionaS]

My vet said Dolly had a possible heart murmur when we got her at 7 months. I asked to speak to another vet and he said Dolly was fine. We nenver had a problem with her at all.

Please ask for a second opinion if you are still unsure, but loads of people on here have had a smilar problem!!

Silver is lovely by the way!

 

[TillynPip]

Try not worry (easier said than done, I know) but Teachtrinity's post is right re whippets hearts and a non-whippet vet will often diagnose a heart murmur when there isn't one. If you are still worried and need reassurance, see if you can find a vet who is used to dealing with sighthounds or put out a request on this site to see if anyone knows of such a vet in your area. Try not to panic and just enjoy your beautiful girl - love the name as well.

Sorry just read the other posts and we're all saying the same thing so we can't all be wrong!!

 

[eve]

I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that one of my whippets had a heart murmer. I think at some point or other, they have all been diagnosed as having a minor one. All but one of my whippies have lived to between approximately 12 and 14 years old. The one exception, my 9 year dog Peat died of a Femoral Thromboembolism but this was not because he had serious heart problems, it was three weeks after a general anesthetic for a broken tooth. ( he had a slight murmer sometimes depending on what vet was doing his check up )

I no longer trust my old vets and have changed. They kept finding health problems that required 'tests' but strangely, the tests always came back negative. That included the 3 ECG tests of 2 different dogs.

Toddy who has just come second in a Lurecoursing competition was sent for an ECG. The specalist vet who did it spoke to me and said he could find nothing abnormal and the murmer was just a normal whippet heartbeat. He said that many vets misdiagnose whippet heartbeats because as they are easy to listen to unlike the heavier breeds like labs and retrievers. He said what Teachtriny said The heart of a whippet is large and slow beating, often being arrhythmic or even intermittent when the animal is at rest

Silver is most likely fine but you could always take her to another vet for a second opinion. If she does have a serious heart murmer, it is unlikely that she will be covered by the KC puppy insurance as they will regard it as pre-existing. I do think you should seek a second opinion from another vet perhaps when she is about 16 weeks old.

You should however contact the breeder, explain what the vet said and that you required the papers ASAP.

Please do not worry. I am sure everything will be fine. Silver is stunning, what a cutie :wub:

Lots of us are telling you the same thing, so please do not worry, just enjoy your we girl :lol:

 

[Rachelle]

Aaaaaaaah, Phew!!!! Thank you everyone for replying, Im feeling positive now!! You all seem to be saying the same thing. The vet did say she hasnt seen many Whippets in our area, very unusual she said..? ..I will definately look into an experianced Whippet vet.. even if it means driving 30 + miles haha.. Thank you so much agin!! Off too clean up puppy wee!! Ooops!

 

[June Jonigk]

I agree with all the above, definitely nothing to worry about at this stage. One of mine was said to have a murmur at 1st vaccination but by the 2nd vaccination the vet said she was fine. She is still racing at 8 and a half years old. One of the others was diagnosed by a new vet to the practice I worked in. She was 4years old, when checked by one of the other vets, he said he couldn't hear it. She (Bubble & Squeak) raced until she was 10, and is now enjoying her retirement and will be 15 in September.

 

[blissed4ever]

Heart murmurs are tricky things. What the vet is hearing is blood flow in the wrong direction. This means that the heart may have to beat harder than normal to pump the blood round the body. Many pups are born with a hole between chambers that should heal up in the first 6 to 8 months. Others may have a faulty heart valve that won't heal but may not cause any problems.

Its worth having x-rays taken every few months to a year to check that the heart isn't becoming enlarged by working too hard. These are done under sedation and only take a few minutes.

Omega 3 (Fish Oil) capsules can be bought online or from GNC or Holland and Barrett for the dosage google 'cardiguard' and work out the dosage for your dog's weight and then buy capsules that give the same (approx) dosage. These help keep the heart as healthy as possible.

Do let the puppy set its own pace and let it rest for as long as it needs after exertion.

All the best.

 

[FifeJillandIan]

I'm glad you're feeling better having read all these replies - I've also heard the same thing about vets misdiagnosing heart murmurs in whippets. Silver is absolutely adorable :wub: I hope we'll be seeing lots of photos of her as she grows up

 

[AnnSa]

Glad that your mind has been put at rest )

 

I was told my Zana had a murmer at her first check up

with my vet but later on there was no sign of anything.

 

[dana]

my old girl has had a heart murmmer since she was a puppy, it never slowed her down and didnt effect her at all untill she was 11 when she started to slow down. at 12 she had a stroke that should of seen her off but she has recovered well from it, she is 13 now and her heart is failing her but she is still very happy and as long as she takes her tablets she can still do an hours walk a day and enjoy it.

i really wouldnt worrie too much as they say forwarned is forarmed and it will mean that ur quickly aware if she has any effect from the murmmer and can quickly get her on the right medication for it.

dana has lived a full and happy life dispite the vet telling me she wouldnt live to see 10 so dont give up on ur pup am sure he will be just as happy and healthy as my old girl. i think some vets tell u the worst case senario so u r prepared and others just like to scare monger alittle.

hope this helps hun xx

 

[Rachelle]

my old girl has had a heart murmmer since she was a puppy, it never slowed her down and didnt effect her at all untill she was 11 when she started to slow down. at 12 she had a stroke that should of seen her off but she has recovered well from it, she is 13 now and her heart is failing her but she is still very happy and as long as she takes her tablets she can still do an hours walk a day and enjoy it.
i really wouldnt worrie too much as they say forwarned is forarmed and it will mean that ur quickly aware if she has any effect from the murmmer and can quickly get her on the right medication for it.

dana has lived a full and happy life dispite the vet telling me she wouldnt live to see 10 so dont give up on ur pup am sure he will be just as happy and healthy as my old girl. i think some vets tell u the worst case senario so u r prepared and others just like to scare monger alittle.

hope this helps hun xx

Thanks dana, thats good to know,... Im definately feel better now... I had visions of her having operations and god knows what else.. if the murmur continues and its only medication she needs then thats not such a worry.. Im crossing my fingers. Thank you x

 

[LM1981]

Not the diagnoses you want for your brand new, and gorgeous by the way, pup. But as others have said try not to worry too much. I am not experienced with whippets (currently taking care of my first), however it sounds like it could be a misdiagnosis, even if it isn't there are various degrees of severity. I hope that it will give you some comfort to know that our old family dog had a confirmed heart murmur from the age of about 2 or 3 and she lived a happy and very healthy life until she was 15 when she died of natural old age, not an issue with the so called heart murmur.

Your little pup is beautiful, have fun and enjoy her, cross any other bridges if you come to them, please don't be on edge waiting for something to happen it is really not worth it as chances are it won’t and if it does you are still looking at years with a great family pet.

The best of luck, I look forward to hearing of all her exploits, hopefully at some point she will provide the same comic relief as mine, seriously you are in for some mischief

 

[Seraphina]

There is just one thing, have you told the breeder? If a new puppy is diagnosed with a problem, the breeder should be the first to be told.

I certainly would not recommend 6 monthly x-ray (= putting the dog under anaesthetic plus exposing them to radiation). Especially as this vet is most likely wrong about the diagnoses.

Best of luck :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[~Annie~]

There is just one thing, have you told the breeder? If a new puppy is diagnosed with a problem, the breeder should be the first to be told.
I certainly would not recommend 6 monthly x-ray (= putting the dog under anaesthetic plus exposing them to radiation). Especially as this vet is most likely wrong about the diagnoses.

Best of luck :luck: :luck: :luck:

Exactly what I was about to say ... no way does your pup need regular xrays.

As already stated by others the whippet's heart at rest beats slowly and even arrhythmically. Given the whippet's large chest cavity this can lead to a perfectly normal whippet heart beat seeming not to sound like the distinct and regular beat expected from a normal canine heart but more like the less distinct sound you would hear if the heart valves weren't functioning normally. Equally in every breed sometimes puppy's hearts don't fully develop until the pup is some months old, leading to the diagnosis of a murmur that subsequently goes away. It is not possible to diagnose heart murmurs by ausculation (listening through a stethoscope) alone. An ECG or similar would be needed for confirmation. But unless a year from now an experienced sighthound vet tells you he or she is still worried that your pup has a murmur I really wouldn't give it another thought. Obviously you need to watch in the meantime for any signs that your pup easily tires, but almost certainly Silver is just fine.

Good luck with her, she's gorgeous. Enjoy her, let her run, and don't worry :huggles:

 

[Janimal]

Agree with all thats been said so far...my vet diagnosed Kobi with a heart murmur when he went for his first jabs....

it wasnt there when we went back a second time.... :thumbsup: I think its something to do with the deep chests whippets have

and can be mis diagnosed.....

My Chip the whippet I had previous to these three now, had a real heart defect and lived a perfectly normal life...although he

was on medication later in his life....it never stopped him doing anything.

Gorgeous pup... :wub: and try not to worry too much.