#HeartMurmursInDogs

A year and a half ago, we found out Pebbles had a heart murmur.

It all started with a trip to Lake Tahoe. We went out for a hike in the mountains. It wasn’t a super long hike, and Pebbles did awesome. She never showed any signs of struggling or having a hard time.

But, when we got back to our AirBnB, she pancaked to the ground, started drooling and was definitely in distress. Not really knowing what was going on, we gave her water and food, and she quickly snapped out of it.

When we got back home, we immediately scheduled a visit with our vet, Dr Kelly Hehn, and he told us she had a heart murmur. Joey never had any heart challenges, so this was a first for us.

What is a heart murmur? A heart murmur is an abnormal swishing noise, usually heard by listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Murmurs are graded by their intensity, usually on a scale of I-VI. A Grade I murmur is very soft or quiet, may only be heard intermittently, and is usually only heard in one location on the chest, while a Grade VI murmur is very loud, heard everywhere that the heart can be heard, and can be felt when a person places their hand on the chest in the area of the heart.

Dr Kelly placed Pebbles’ heart murmur as a Grade III and said that it was an acquired heart murmur caused from aging. Just like with humans, as our pups age, their organs start to weaken from the years of use. The most common cause of an acquired heart murmur is mitral insufficiency/mitral regurgitation, a condition in which the mitral valve becomes weakened and begins leaking.

Pebbles’ episode in Lake Tahoe was a fainting/collapse due to this decrease in her heart function. A decreased heart function can cause vital organs such as the brain to become deprived of nutrients, especially oxygen. Compromised blood flow to the brain can lead to fainting/syncope or collapse.

The recommendation was for Pebbles to see a cardiologist for an Echocardiogram, to determine the exact condition of her heart and to determine if medical intervention or prescription meds should be used.

Unfortunately, my experience with the cardiologist was not the best. I’ll just sum it up by saying, he spent the entire time talking to me about the meds and how difficult it was to get access to them, and how fantastic they were at extending life spans, but that there was no guarantee that once you started them you’d be able to stay on them, and how, if she had these specific measurements, she would be eligible for a trial...oh but wait, she doesn’t meet the specific measurements, etc., etc.

I left that appointment in tears, thinking that my days with Pebbles were numbered. But, not one to sit and wallow, I immediately went to work trying to learn more and figure out my options.

The first thing I did was go to NHV Naturals website and look up their supplements for the Heart. I immediately ordered Heart-Healthy!

Next, was to talk with Dr Kelly, after he had received the cardiologist’s report. He was able to calm my fears and explain to me in “real” speak what he read from the report...and that was to not freak out! Yes, she had a Grade III Heart Murmur, and yes, her Left Atrium was mildly enlarged, but he didn’t see a need to put her on meds, yet, and felt that as long as we monitored her, made sure she wasn’t overdoing it at high elevations, watching for signs of coughing or shortness of breath...that she would be able to continue to lead an active, healthy life! It helped that she was already active, fit and in great shape!

At that time:

• I started Pebbles on NHV Naturals Heart Healthy supplement 10% Discount Code - PBJPACK
• I made sure she received the recommended dose of her Nutrolin Omega 3 Oil, because Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to have a positive effect in dogs with heart disease. 20% Discount Code - NUTROLINPBJ
• I also started adding Farm Hounds Heart to her daily meal. In Chinese Medicine, one thing you can do to support a weak organ is to consume that organ. 20% Discount Code - PBJPACK20
• And, we monitored her during hikes. Carrying her up the hills, and letting her hike down. Carrying her more when we were doing hikes at higher elevations. And, just being cautious.

In January 2020, Pebbles’ acupuncturist was concerned that her increase in anxiety might be related to a decrease in her heart function, so we scheduled another Echocardiogram...with a different cardiologist!

Great news, everything had either remained the same, or slightly improved!

Working with our vet, Dr Kelly, I’m always making sure that I’m doing everything possible to help Pebbles and all the pups live long, healthy and happy lives. There were a few additional supplements that have been known to help with heart disease...taurine and carnitine...which are included in the Rx Vitamins Formula CV. So, we added that additional supplement to her daily routine.

CoQ10 is also another supplement known to improve cardiac function. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come in a dose small enough for Pebbles to take, but would be an option for larger pups.

The recommendation is that Pebbles have an Echocardiogram every 8-12 months (assuming she doesn’t have any issues before then) to make sure we stay on top of any changes to her heart, and consider introducing medication when needed.

So, in December 2020 she had another Echocardiogram...with great results! Her heart murmur was actually rated as a Grade II, and the left atrium was not enlarged! Is it perfect...Nope!...but overall, for 14 1/2 years old...her heart is in pretty good shape!

Will this supplement regimen work the same for all pups with heart murmurs? No, probably not, but I share it in hopes that if you’re going through something similar, it will give you ideas of what to look into, what questions to ask...and how to move forward!

Without a doubt, being active, eating real food and adding the right supplements have helped Pebbles continue to live a sassy, spunky, fabulous life!