If you have an older puppy, he may have some heart problem, and that you have been told that he has a heart murmur. This problem can be common in dogs that are almost elderly, since the heart does not work as before, and sometimes it also appears in puppies, although in the latter it usually disappears at 4 months of age.
El heart murmur It is detected when the veterinarian listens to the animal listening to a vibration added to the normal noise of the heart. This happens because the heart and blood flow are not working normally. This abnormal noise occurs because there is an obstruction that prevents flow, or because the heart rate increases when there are tachycardias and arrhythmias, or because the density of the blood is not the same due to anemia.
The heart murmur is not always a problem that must be operated on, although it always has some origin, which must be determined, in order to know what to do at all times. Can cause it a deficiency or defect in the valves of the heart, or an infection, tumors, anemia, etc. The most common are heart diseases that develop with age, since they are usually not treated, but only require certain precautions so that this does not pose a problem for the animal.
The clearer symptoms They are fatigue, swelling of the abdomen, respiratory difficulty, especially when exercising, even having pale and bluish gums due to lack of circulation, collapse or general weakness. If you see any of these things, you should go to the vet to determine the exact cause of the problem.
All the tests to perform They consist of blood tests, ultrasounds, EKGs, and other tests decided by the vet. Once you have the origin, you can decide whether to operate, act with medication or simply take precautions, such as not tiring the dog, since there are times when operating it would be impossible.