Puppy: heart murmur?

[Roy]

Hi everyone,

I'm getting ready to pick up our Goldendoodle puppy this Saturday. I got an email from our Breeder saying that one of the puppies has a very slight heart murmur. We have the last pick in the litter so I think this puppy will be the last one left. Is this a major health concern?


Here's what she wrote:
"I do want to mention that the Parti male has a grade 1 heart murmur.   My veterinarian could barely hear it.  I have never had a puppy with a grade 1 heart murmur not grow out of it.  I am confident this little guy will grow out of his, too.  I have provided a little info on murmurs below.  You can also do your own research or talk to your veterinarian if you are concerned. You may phone me also.

"Heart murmurs are graded by intensity of sound, for instance on a scale of 1 to 6. It is not infrequent that one may hear a grade 1 or 2 heart murmur in a 6-10 week old puppy. Often these murmurs disappear by the time the puppy is 12-18 weeks old, and are therefore termed innocent murmurs. However, murmurs with a greater intensity may mean that there is a congenital heart defect. Most grade 2 or lower will disappear by 18 weeks and the puppy will be fine with no long term or damaging effects."

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would ask to have a copy of her vet's findings emailed or faxed to your vet, and then discuss it with your vet. It may not be cause for concern, but you need the actual report and the guidance of your vet to make that decision. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Another consideration is that if you are planning to get health insurance for your puppy (and I hope you are :) any heart issues for the remainder of his life would be considered "pre-existing" and would not be covered.  So if for some reason he did not outgrow the murmur and he developed heart problems it could be costly.

[Roy]

Thanks for your reply! If the murmur goes away after two months, will the insurance still cover anything heart related?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I think it would probably be best to run it by the insurance company.  If you have decided on an insurance company I would suggest you call their customer service dept and ask them that question. It's probably something they have encountered before. It could vary from company to company. I'm just not sure and it would be good to know going in...

[Wendy and Myla]

I would phone the insurance company to see what their policy is.

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Our dog, Lily, had a grade 1 murmur that also could barely be heard. She grew out of by the time she was 16 weeks old. 

[Roy]

That's good to know! I'm hoping it'll be the same case for my pup.

[Roy]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I'm a little nervous going into this. I've been reading all day about the "innocent heart murmur" and it looks like it's nothing serious. It seems as if it's something that goes away by the time the puppy is 4 months old. The breeder is very reputable and she says she encounters about 2 pups each year with the heart murmur. So far, they all have gone away she says. She says it's something not to worry about but she felt that it was necessary to disclose.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

What would the breeder  do if it didn't go away? Does she  have a guarantee against genetic conditions? Would she reimburse your purchase price or part of it?

[Roy]

The breeder would pay for the medical bills up to the purchase price of the puppy if it's genetic related.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I called PetPlan which is the insurance company I use for Tara. I explained your situation and was told that at PetPlan the puppy would be considered as having a pre-existing heart condition, even if he outgrew the murmur in a few months. So if ANY heart condition arouse during his lifetime it would not be covered.:(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Benign heart murmurs are pretty common in puppies. It doesn;t really seem right that a heart condition that developed in say, a 10 year old dog would be considered a pre-existing condition. 

What is a benign or “innocent” murmur?

Some heart murmurs are called benign (or innocent or physiological), meaning there is no apparent heart disease that explains the murmur.  These murmurs are often seen in puppies, and can occur in cats of any age.  They are uncommon in adult dogs.  Benign murmurs are usually soft (rather than loud), and can be intermittent.  Benign puppy murmurs will generally disappear by 12 to 15 weeks of age.  Murmurs associated with anemia or  excitement are also considered benign murmurs.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2488