The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: Bionic on June 27, 2012, 04:16:04 pm
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I took Archie (min poodle) for his snip today and they have discovered he has a heart murmer. I am gutted.
They have taken some x-rays and we have left the vet looking at them. So for now I don't know what the prognosis is :(
Sally
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Try not to worry too much. Lots of dogs have heart murmurs, so do humans. It may just be a leaky valve, and there are lots of medications available these days. I don't remember how old he is, but if he's getting the snip he's not very old. Youth is on his side. Hope the news is good :fc:
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Echo what Doganjo says, a friend's dog has just been diagnosed with a heart murmur too but the vet has said it really won't affect her life much :-*
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He is 10 months old.
The vet asked if he was coughing and if it was affecting his walks i.e. getting out of breath. I have never heard Archie cough and he is always full of life. I get out of breath on walks but he doesn't ;D
At the moment he is sleeping, recovering from his general anesthetic from the snip and they have put a plastic collar on him because he kept licking his wound. He won't like that when he comes too enough to realise whats going on.
Sally
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Hope they used dissolvable stitches so he doesn't have to have them taken out :innocent: Nothing much you can put on that part of his anatomy to stop him licking either ::) Wee soul :love:
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I've got a heart murmur - didn't know until I was in my mid-40s when the docs found it by accident. Pretty common, I think.
Hope Archie is OK.
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My German Shepherd was diagnosed with a heart murmur when she was a pup and I was devastated but she lived until the ripe old age of 14 which isn't bad for a large breed and never suffered from any heart related illnesses.
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One of my middle aged Flat coated Retrievers was diagnosed with a heart murmur, and although he needed medication, he went on to live til 14 years of age (which is a good age for a Flattie). He never slowed down or suffered in any apparent way.
:fc: for your little lad. :bouquet:
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I know it's hard, but try not to worry too much. He must be fairly fit for the vet to do his operation. I know my Goldie has been a right pain with her stiches and has had to wear a buster collar and a teashirt (designer dog wear) to stop her getting to them. I'm just hoping that the vet will take the stiches out at 10days which is Friday.
I hope everything works out well for him. :fc:
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Thankyou for all the good wishes I will pass them on to Archie, who is still in the land of nod at the moment, and for those that have experience of the condition themselves. It has certainly helped put my mind at rest for the time being.
Sally
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My old springer had a heart murmur. Never stopped her beating or running around like a loon, but then having a leg amputated didn't either lol. She died at 13 with very few health problems (apart from the leg!)
Helen
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That's interesting, Helen. Freckles Mum was a working dog and she had a leg amputation too - didn't stop her working on the state either.
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It didn't stop Holly for a few seasons. She was 7 when she had her back leg amputate and I think I retired her when she was 11 but by that time, she was only coming out for the odd drive as it was getting a bit much for her. A lot of the people on the shoots never realised she only had 3 legs.
Helen
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And I thought ceilidh was the only one :-[ - probably the only Brittany working on three legs though ::) ;D
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Try not to worry too much until your vet has given a diagnosis. Some murmurs are nothing to worry about and he could live to a good old age.
Get well soon Archie :bouquet:
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Get well soon Archie :dog: - and chin up Bionic :wave: .....you'll both be fine :thumbsup:
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My young horse had a heart murmur, vet said to continue riding him as normal he is 11 years now and though not with me, he is still ridden and jumped. :wave:
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....fairly common and like so many others have said, may not effect him much at all....If he had not been tested, you would not have known, I believe they often heal and my son discovered he had one when he went for a minor op...they play footie, swim and run!!! :wave:
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Vet said she has spent some time with a colleague looking at the xrays they took yesterday. Nothing obvious is showing and the heart is not enlarged.
I now have 2 choices
1. Get a heart expert to look at the xrays and maybe do some more of their own (expensive)
2. Carry on as usual. If Archie hadn't had the snip yesterday we wouldn't be any the wiser.
I am tending towards option 2. He is a lively dog, not showing any signs of anything amiss and vet said if they find out what the problem is they may do nothing anyway but that depends on the problem.
OH thinks we should go for option 1 whilst the insurance still covers Archie but is drawing the line at any exploratory surgery if expert doesn't know what the problem is.
Sally
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If you have insurance and your excess isn't too high I would go fro option 1 in agreement with your OH - but also agree that no exploratory examinations would be done. Fine for the experts to look at the x-rays and possibly any others if they need them, but no poking and jagging and cutting open. ::) I suspect as I said it could just be a leaky valve.
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Have they told you what level of murmur it is?
I agree - if you're paying for insurance, you may as well use it!
Helen
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Get a referral to your nearest Vet School - there's one in Bristol.
They will have access to all the latest technology and be up-to-date with the latest techniques. If you are covered by insurance, now is the time to get this done.
Make sure you never change insurers after this though - it will be a pre-existing condition and will not be covered by a new insurer. Also check what sort of cover you have. Some won't payout in the future if you don't make a claim within a certain period after diagnosis. Also, some policies only cover illness for the first 12 months, others offer cover for the life of the animal. So, do check your cover first.
Sue
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Sue,
Unfortunately I only have basic cover so after the first 12 months he won't be covered either by the existing or a new insurer. If I need anything done it has to be this year.
He has to go back to have his stitches out on 6th July so I will discuss it with the vet again then
Sally
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One of my sisters toy poodles was diagnosed with a heart murmer when she went for her second inoculation as a puppy they listened to her heart a few days later as she had already been vet checked before my sister bought her and the second test was clear , she lived to 17 years old and not once had any heart problems
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My old girl was diagnosed with a heart murmur at ten years old, but she had been fit and well all her life and it wasn't that the she died of.
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Well Archie is going to see the specalist on Tuesday. She said the examination will take 2 hours and it will cost £400-£450.
Luckily the insurance will pay this (I think) but after that there will be no money forthcoming from them for this condition. Fingers crossed that she can detect the problem but will say he can live to a ripe old age without anything doing :fc:
Sally
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Fingers crossed.
Helen