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“My Pet Has a Heart Murmur:” How a Pet Echocardiogram Can Help

May 23rd, 2016 by Cherished Companions Animal Clinic

James brought Sophia in for a cat echocardiogram after the vet heard a heart murmur.

Let’s say…

You’ve brought your dog or cat to our veterinary clinic for a routine annual exam.

Or perhaps, you’ve brought your pet in because he or she has been acting strangely.

  • Maybe your dog has been coughing, breathing heavy or lethargic.
  • If you have a cat, maybe you’ve noticed a sudden loss in energy and appetite, trouble breathing or hiding more than usual.

As part of your visit, our veterinarians will check your pet’s heart.

Maggie has been a little more lethargic than usual.

That’s when — in some cases — our vets may hear a heart murmur.

In dogs, a heart murmur is almost always a sign of something abnormal.

In cats, a heart murmur may or may not be normal. It depends on your cat.

Once our veterinarians hear a heart murmur, we typically recommend an echocardiogram (at a minimum), so we can get a good look at what’s going on.

It’s important to figure out what’s causing the murmur.

Shadow's heart echocardiogram came back all clear. Back to snoozing in boxes!

A pet echocardiogram gives us a complete picture of your pet’s heart.

A pet echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create a picture of your pet’s heart.

It provides a more objective picture than an x-ray.

It allows our vets to see whether there are any abnormalities in the heart. Then, we can determine a clear course of action.

For example, let’s say your cat’s heart murmur is innocent. (Yes!)

Your cat has been having kidney issues, though.

We can be more aggressive in our treatment of your cat’s kidneys because we know your furry friend’s heart is okay.

 In need of a pet echocardiogram?

If you live in Castle Rock or in the Denver area, please call us at 303-688-3757 or:

Book your visit here

When running an echocardiogram, one of the things we look for is heart disease.

Heart disease is an abnormal enlargement of your pet’s heart.

Quite simply, your pet’s heart has become less effective in pumping blood.

Heart disease can be an abnormality your pet has had since birth. Or, it can develop under different circumstances.

For example, it can appear when:

  • Your pet grows older.
  • Your pet has an underlying illness, such as anemia.
  • Your dog has heartworm disease.

In addition, certain breeds of dogs are more prone to heart disease — such as Dobermans, Boxers, and toy breeds such as Poodles and King Charles Spaniels.

If you have a dog breed that’s susceptible to heart disease, it’s a good idea to have your dog screened for it around five or six years of age.

If left untreated, heart disease can lead to heart failure.

Cavalier Spaniels are prone to heart disease.

With a pet echocardiogram, we can determine a good next step.

We can figure out whether your pet has heart disease, what stage he or she may be in, and what to do.

Depending on the stage, we may:

  • Simply monitor the murmur.
  • Start preventive measures.
  • Begin a treatment plan to prolong your furry friend’s life. In recent years, treatments have become much less toxic than in the past.

It’s much easier (and much less expensive) to slow the progression of heart disease and prevent heart failure, than it is to try to turn around heart failure.

Noodle and Becky enjoy some quiet time in between vet visits.

You’re welcome to visit Cherished Companions for an echocardiogram.

If your veterinarian doesn’t offer echocardiogram services, the ideal thing to do is to visit a pet cardiologist.

However, we know that can be cost-prohibitive.

If you live in Castle Rock or in the Denver area, you are welcome to come to Cherished Companions for a cat or dog echocardiogram.

We’re happy to document the results and report back to your veterinarian.

If your dog or cat is already a patient, we’ve got you covered.

Our pet echocardiograms are readily available to your furry friend, if needed.

 Want to make sure your pet’s heart is healthy?

Please call our Castle Rock veterinarians at 303-688-3757 or:

Book your visit here

To learn more about heart disease in dogs and cats…

Check out this article from Vet Street: Understanding heart disease — do pets and humans have anything in common?

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Cherished Companions Animal Clinic is a veterinary clinic in Castle Rock, Colorado. Specializing in the care of cats and dogs, our goal is to help you and your pet feel more comfortable, keeping your stress to a minimum.

This article is intended to provide general guidance on heart murmurs, heart disease and pet echocardiograms. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact your local veterinarian. (If you live in or around Castle Rock, we welcome your call: 303-688-3757.)

© 2016, Cherished Companions Animal Clinic

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