Heart murmur: What is it ? #
Heart murmurs are abnormal sounds that can occur in a dog’s heart. They are caused by irregular or turbulent blood flow through the heart. These murmurs can be detected by a veterinarian during a routine physical exam by listening to the dog’s chest with a stethoscope.
While some heart murmurs may be harmless, others can be a symptom of an underlying disease or defect affecting the heart. Some dog breeds that are genetically predisposed to heart murmurs include Boston Terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and Chihuahuas.
The 6 grades of heart murmurs #
Heart murmurs are graded on a scale of 1-6, based on the loudness of the murmur. The grade of the murmur is a useful classification tool and can also be used to monitor any changes in the dog’s heart murmur over time.
However, it is important to note that the grade of the murmur only measures how loud it is and does not necessarily indicate the severity of the underlying disease. Low-grade murmurs can sometimes be life-threatening, while high-grade murmurs can be benign. Further testing is needed to determine the significance of the dog’s heart murmur.
Does your dog have a heart murmur? Minitailz is the right tool to help you watch over your dog #
- Get to know your dog’s baseline vitals, and monitor that they are stable through time.
- Be alerted by changes such as a consistent increase in heart and respiratory rates, so you can react in time if your dog moves to a worse stage of heart disease.
- Share data with your vet to help them take the best data-driven decision for your specific dog, as no two dogs will react the same to treatments such as beta-blockers, diuretics, pimobendan etc.
- Actively participate in research as we are conducting several projects for better detection and monitoring of heart disease and related issues such as heart murmurs.
Developed with and recommended by top vets! #
We’re on a mission to help you help your dog live a healthier, happier and longer life. Our goal is better detection, monitoring and knowledge of canine heart conditions, so that dog parents get a chance to extend the length of quality life for their dog with early treatment.
Together with a team of rockstar board-certified veterinarian cardiology experts in the US and in Europe, we are launching several research projects to uncover new digital biomarkers of heart health, stress and pain.
Help us spread the word to dog parents and vets around you!