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heart murmer

ruby

i have a tri cavalier king charles spaniel age two and is a very active and healthy dog. but at the check up she had when she was nutered about a year ago the vet told me that she has a grade two heart murmer would anyone be able to tell me any information as the vet didnt really answer any of my questions many thanks danielle

•   Deborah Butcher says:

  April 16th, 2009 at 03:24 PM

  Hello,

  I can try, heart murmers can go quite in depth.

  It is a breed trait of cavaliers, there are not many of them unfortunately now who don't develop a hearth murmur sooner or later.

  Heart murmers in cavies is usually mitral valve disease. The heart is made up of 4 chambers separated by valves, sometimes the valves don't close off properly allowing a seepage backwards. This can be heard as a faint 'woosh' sound when listened to with a stethoscope. There are different types of heart murmurs so I cannot dicuss indepth anyone, your vet or a referral vet if required should be able to tell you.

  There are varying degrees of heart murmurs, ranging from grade 1 mild to grade 6 with can be heard without the use of a stethoscope.

  Dogs with heart murmurs can go on to lead long and happy lives depending on the progression of the disease. As the dog gets older you may notice a lack of tolerance to exercise, if your dog is required to go under a general anaesthetic or sedation there is a slightly higher risk and the nurse/vet needs to be aware that your dog has a murmur. She may need heart tablets as he gets older to prevent fluid build up on her chest.

  Her health is compromised, but bearing this in mind you can make changes in hyour dogs life to help. She must not become overweight! this will put a massive strain on her heart, low sodium diets, and no extreme exercise. Regular walks are essential how ever to keep her fitness up.

  If you have any further question please ask and I will do my best to answer them. Make a point of asking your vet however. They should explain things to you

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• danielle says:

  April 16th, 2009 at 04:06 PM

  thank you thats a great help. as for her becoming overweight that wont be a problem as she doesnt eat and hasnt done from being a pup. we have tried everything and i mean everything!!! currently im making my own food which consists of boiling pet mince then draining adding chopped chicken garlic and a LTTLE gravy granules would this do her any harm? she will eat cat food but ive been told in the long run this is no good. HELP!!!

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•   Deborah Butcher says:

  April 16th, 2009 at 05:28 PM

  You need to go your research when giving home-made diets. An imbalanced diet can cause its own problems.

  http://www.caberfeidh.com/NaturalDiet.htm

  the above is good at explaining why you need a balance diet

  http://www.ukbarfclub.co.uk/

  is a type of homemade diet that vets recommend

  If you can tempt her on to a good quality commercial diet, then you know she is getting all the nutrients she needs. I have started to look a bit more into herbal medicenes and supplements www.dorwest.com are reputable herbal suppliers. If you go on to the website and look at 'malted kelp tablets' these can help to stimulate her appetite and she may tuck into her food.

  Hope this helps

  P.S gravy is stacked with salt and fat as is mince. Research is best then you can make informed decisions 

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