whoopazz Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) So the vet says our dog may have a heart murmur. She wants to do about $500 worth of testing to evaluate the cause, severity, and treatment options. Does this sound legit? I want to do whatever for the dog, but don't want to get taken either. I looked here and it does seem like extensive testing may be needed. Any advice? TIA Edited April 21, 2009 by whoopazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) So the vet says our dog may have a heart murmur. She wants to do about $500 worth of testing to evaluate the cause, severity, and treatment options. Does this sound legit? I want to do whatever for the dog, but don't want to get taken either. I looked here and it does seem like extensive testing may be needed. Any advice? TIA Our dog (yellow lab) has Cushings, incontinence, AND a murmur. She's 9.5 yo. Our vet, who I deeply and almost blindly trust has suggested a "wait and see" approach. He is only treating her incontinence which is about 80% effective. The symptoms of her Cushing's is excessive panting and a voracious appetite (prior she was not a big eater). She is NOT exhibiting any symptoms of the murmur, that is coughing, labored breathing (except for the panting that started w/ the cushing's), poor exercise ability, fainting, and a bluish tinge to the tongue or gums. He has not requested any tests, maybe due to her other conditions and age. Curious why your vet says "maybe has a heart murmur"? From what I know (I had one as a teenager and it just went away) a vet can hear it w/ the stethoscope. I'm not suggesting you don't follow your vet's advice, just stating our situation. Good luck Whoop, and keep us apprised. Edited April 21, 2009 by rocknrobn26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Was the murmur noticed at a regular checkup or is your dog having problems? I think if your dog is doing fine and the vet wants to run $500 worth of tests on an otherwise healthy dog, that's asking a bit much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Dude, I just dropped $2,600 on my dog them to look in my dog's stomach, to keep him from roughly 48 hours and to give him IV fluids and medicine to settle his stomach. I just found out that the food the vet wants him to eat now cost $90 for a 30# bag. Of course Duke would have died had I not spent that money, so it was money well spent. To me $500 would sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopazz Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) Was the murmur noticed at a regular checkup or is your dog having problems? I think if your dog is doing fine and the vet wants to run $500 worth of tests on an otherwise healthy dog, that's asking a bit much! 6 year old cocker spaniel. A little lethargic for that young age but that could be the breed?? The vet listened in during a routine visit because my wife told her that Mattie has been coughing. She still begs to play and run when I get home from work. Also, a little coughing and wheezing, but the Mrs. seems to overreact to these things. Personally, she looks fine to me and certainly doesn't have any serious symptoms like bluing of the mouth or chronic coughing. I'm leaning toward waiting to see how things progress unless someone talks me out of it. Edited April 21, 2009 by whoopazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I'm leaning toward waiting to see how things progress unless someone talks me out of it. Good plan, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 6 year old cocker spaniel. A little lethargic for that young age but that could be the breed?? The vet listened in during a routine visit because my wife told her that Mattie has been coughing. She still begs to play and run when I get home from work. Also, a little coughing and wheezing, but the Mrs. seems to overreact to these things. Personally, she looks fine to me and certainly doesn't have any serious symptoms like bluing of the mouth or chronic coughing. I'm leaning toward waiting to see how things progress unless someone talks me out of it. As most probably know, dogs don't cough like humans. It's more like a gag thing, very noticeable. If she is coughing and wheezing, that could be enough for the vet to throw the flag up. FWIF, Our vet asked (twice in the last four months) if Nilly was coughing or wheezing or acting lethargic. We said no, but she was panting a lot (plus the excess food/water thing). He said the panting et al. has nothing to do w/ the heart murmur, that's the Cushings. He also said if she started coughing or wheezing to call him (I think that would mean tests,IMHO). Bottom line I don't think your Vet is over reacting, after reading your last post. Coughing and wheezing even if it's not chronic but frequent, should be looked at. Tests might be in order, but if you decide to wait and see, it is an unarguable option. One thing I have learned about dogs...when they get something, be it cancer, heart problems, etc., it progresses at a much faster rate than they do in humans. (Dog years vs human years? ) Fwiw, our first dog (Cissy) had a lump on her ribcage for a couple of years. Vet said watch it. We did and one day the dam thing blew up to the size of a golfball (she was 8 yo) We took her in, it was cancer, went thru a steroid treatment after surgery and 1.5 years later she got another one...over night! Same thing....surgery and steroids. Long story short, she lived to be 15.5 yo. I am soooo glad we did what we did, $$$ aside, they are worth it. I won't go into my Hershey story, most here know it. What I'm trying to say, Whoop, is follow your instinct, but listen to the Vet. I'd like to believe they are not out there for the $$$, but are truly trying to help the animal. My experiences w/ Cissy, Hershey, and now Nilly prove that. Yup, $$$ is tight, but I think most dog/cat/pet owners know, we are committed to their well being. They look up to us for that. And within reason (you'll have to define that yourself) ya gotta consider spending $$$ to save them. Follow your conscience...listen to the vet and decide. You won't go wrong as you have already have shown your love for the dog. Peace and best wishes w/ your decision. rr26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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