UPDATE heart murmur? anyone have any experience or updates?

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

Grover, who will be 4 in a couple of weeks, went to the vet last night for an ear infection.  Unfortunately the vet thinks he hears a heart murmur.  We have an appointment on Monday with a cardiologist for a consult and an echo-cardiogram.  He also has a strange cough on occasion and he's been kind of mopey lately ......both symptoms that could mean just about anything I guess(allergies?), but the vet thought checking the murmur would be prudent.

I searched the forum for heart murmur discussions and I noticed a couple.  Just wondering if anyone can give me advice or for those of you who have doodles with murmurs...can you update me on their health and progress? 

The hardest part for me will be leaving him at the hospital I think.  Hopefully, the cardiologist will find nothing and I'll be thrilled that my vet was wrong! Although I know there are much worse conditions, I still hate to think about losing any precious time with either of my two doodles.

Thanks for any advice. 

UPDATE:

Just wanted to thank everyone for the kind words.  After a very long day, Grover was diagnosed with a mild heart murmur.  He should be fine, I just have to figure out how not to worry about him;)

It was an extremely long day, as the cardiologist is actually a traveling cardiologist and no one knows when he'll show up.  They ask you to check in at  8am, then tell you that they've never seen the doctor there before 3pm before.  I refused to have Grover crated for 8 hours, thought that would be the worst part for him,  so I chose to stay with him and we hung around all day in the waiting room.  What a horrible policy they have...won't let you take the dog back later in the day when the doctor calls in because he could say I'll be there in 2 hours or in 10 minutes...if you don't make it back, of course he won't wait. Doctor sneaks in at 3:20 today, makes no attempt to meet with me before or after the 5 minute echo, even though I requested a consult....he passes the diagnosis off to a very nice ER doctor who then answered all my questions, while he snuck back out.  Now I know how busy he must be, but can I tell you that I actually went to high school with the jerk and never even had the opportunity to say hello to him....and it's a very small hospital...which is probably good because after 7 hours of waiting, I wasn't in the best of moods.

I also know that I could have left at any time....it was just very important to get the diagnosis as soon as I could to ease my mind.

Needless to say that if Grover needs further treatments, we won't be going to that particular animal hospital.

Just glad it's done and grateful it's wasn't a worse diagnosis:)

Thanks again to everyone for the well wishes and happy thoughts:)

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

thanks, I'll take 15 years for sure!

[Lori (Wilson and Woody's Mum)]

Hi Mary - I have experience with this. 

Wilson was 4-1/2 when he was diagnosed with a heart murmur.  I had him in for a pre-dental exam and blood work.  This was a new vet we were trying.....she heard it.  He had been at his 'normal" vet twice a year for the past 4 years and had been there as recently as three months prior, with nothing noted.  Our new vet heard it right away.  Interestingly enough she had been the one to clean his teeth two years prior and was certain it wasn't apparent then (she left my old vet's practice).  So he basically developed a heart murmur in the course of two years. 

Wilson is a very healthy dog.  He is quite lean, exercised regularly, fed the best diet, well-bred, etc.  So I was very surprised to hear this news.  The vet referred us to Michigan State University where our nearest vet school is located.  We met with the cardiologist and Wilson had an echo as well.  He definitely has heart disease and a definite heart murmur. 

At this stage, he is not on meds.  We were instructed to continue keeping him lean, exercised and feeding him the best diet we could.  The cardiologist also recommended adding Omega-3s to his diet.  I was also given signs to watch for that would indicate the heart disease was progressing.  That was 8 months ago.  I haven't seen any symptoms, which I am thankful for.  We are due to return for a follow up visit and echo in June.  I guess the span of 9 months will indicate how much the disease has progressed.  I am hopeful things haven't changed.  

 

I have been told that for dogs with dental disease can develop heart murmurs.  There was some hope that after his teeth were cleaned last fall, the murmur *might* disappear.  Unfortunately I learned today at his regular exam that his murmur is still there and possibly may have worsened a grade. 

Right now I am patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for our 9 month follow up appt with the cardiologist.  I am hoping his health has not deteriorated.  Lots of dogs live long, healthy, happy lives without meds and without any issues associated with heart murmurs.  I am praying Wilson is one of these dogs. 

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

Lori,

I'm so sorry to hear about Wilson:(  I will certainly keep you in my prayers.  It's awful to think of them sick.

We found out that Grover has a very mild heart murmur.  He'll just have to be monitored by the regular vet to make sure it doesn't get louder.  But no heart damage or anything.  I'm so grateful.

My regular vet had never heard the murmur either, so Grover's seemed to just develop over the last 8 or 9 months since his check up....he had just gone in for an ear infection on Friday when the vet heard it.  He did check his teeth and they're looking great, so no dental disease to blame it on.

I will be thinking of you and following Wilson's progress.  Thanks for replying!

[F, Calla & Luca]

People with dental/gum disease can also get cardiac problems. Infectious disease gets the responsibility more and more now.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I've been away and am just catching up a little here now.  I had a Maltese who had a heart murmur and heart disease.  He did have a cough which is what alerted me to it, he was three years old.  I have to say that with medication he lived until he was 13.  Jasper had a very happy life.  It's best to try not to project though of course you can't help worrying but just to let you know that even if you get a diagnosis of heart problems it doesn't mean the worst.  Wishing for only the best for the gorgeous Grover.

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

Thank you, I'll take 13 years as well ;) 

Grover was diagnosed with a very mild heart murmur, so no meds yet.  I'm hoping it never gets any worse than that, so one day at a time.  Isn't there a saying about having enough to worry about today without worrying about things that haven't happened yet?  Easier said than done, LOL.

Thank you for the well wishes:)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Mary, So glad it turned out to be a mild heart murmur. This sounds like one of the stupidest waiting systems of all time. Why is his time more important than yours? He also could have had the courtesy to speak to you personally. I second the jerk comment :)

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

thanks, Laurie.......thinking of trashing him on Facebook as we have mutual friends on there....hmmmm, maybe too high school like, LOL

[Becka]

I'm so glad it's not a serious issue for Grover, but I think it's unbelievably rude that they expected you to spend your whole day waiting around for this guy--it really irks me to have to deal with people who think my time has no value. Is there somebody you can write to about this?

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

thought all day yesterday of who to complain to.  The people who work there seem to just accept it as policy!  In the end, I've decided to remain calm (because my husband, who called every hour to check up on us, was extremely irate) and use it as a learning lesson......In the future, even if I have to travel a bit, I will make sure to go somewhere with an on staff cardiologist, or at least one who makes appointments!

The problem is that this particular cardiologist travels throughout MA and RI to almost all of the hospitals...will have to do my homework.  His name kept popping up all over when I researched over the weekend.  There has got to be a better way.

My regular vet is going to get an earful though...hoping to speak with him later today;)

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Glad to hear the diagnosis was good, though the cardiologist is a jerk. i would be tempted to send him a very polite message on facebook saying how relieved you are that Grovers diagnosis wasnt too serious, but that your dissapointed you didnt get to say hi and chat briefly about the diagnosis. Keep it polite and nice, but subtley let him know your pissed! Though if hes a jerk he probably wouldnt get it lol

Your a great doodle Mommy for staying in the waiting room with Grover rather than having him crated all day. I think that would be scary for any dog.

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

thanks, I'm going to have to practice being polite about it for a few days;)  But you're right, he might not even get it.

Although it was a very long day, I kept thinking that Grover would do it for me, right?  I didn't want to let him down.   I'm still feeling guilty for not having just walked out and followed up some place else, but I couldn't stand the thought of waiting even another day longer for a diagnosis. So, I feel selfish...but I'm glad it's done.