Heart murmur in our brand new family member

AuggieTheDoggie · Sep 14, 2017

Hi all,

First time post here. I'm feeling I will have an awesome response if this community is anything like the Frenchie owners I've met locally.

I'm a new dog dad. We got Auggie at 18 weeks this past Saturday and he's been absolutely amazing. I went to what I thought was a reputable breeder but I found out today at the vet visit that Auggie has a heart murmur rated at a 3/6.
I'm extremely concerned and my heart is torn for our little guy..even though hes brand new, my girlfriend and I are in LOVE with him.

I'm hoping you all can offer some insight, for those of you who have gone through similar situations. The Vet suggested an Echocardiogram and x-ray costing $1000. The vet also did a stool sample. She though that a viral infection could play a part in the murmur she diagnosed and clearing up an infection can have a positive impact on the observed murmur. We will hear back about the stool sample Monday.

To add to this, I called the breeder who said they brought him to the vet at 8 weeks and he passed the examination. I'm considering getting a 2nd opinion just to be sure.
He no longer qualifies for pet insurance with this preexisting condition (unless someone here knows of a solution). : /

Thank you for any insight and uplifting stories...really hoping for the best for this little guy right now!

Heres some pics

https://dhirst.tumblr.com/post/165341854970/our-little-auggie

Cbrugs · Sep 14, 2017

Welcome! Auggie is adorable!! They are impossible not to fall in love with.

I don't have any experience with this but I do know it is possible for them to outgrow a heart murmur.

Frenchie Grrrl · Sep 14, 2017

Did Auggie come with a written health guarantee? I would look into it further and see if they can figure out if the heart murmur is congenital or not. If the breeder gave you a health guarantee, at least you will know what all your options are. Hopefully, if it is viral (I know nothing about that), the vet can clear things up and reassess and possibly save you thousands of dollars or any difficult decisions.

My last dog (a King Charles Cavalier) developed a heart murmur later in life (that or is was so quiet that it went undetected for many years, idk) and lived 2-3 happy years after she was diagnosed. The vet actually seemed pretty unconcerned at first, as it's very common in Cavies. That being said, it was really rough in the end, as she went downhill very quickly. What happens is that the heart works very hard and becomes enlarged and puts pressure on the esophagus and also impacts their breathing. I think it's really hard for the vets to predict how quickly the murmur will become an issue, but, hopefully, they can give you some good advice.

I guess my advice is to do as much research as you can and go into it with your eyes open. It's so hard when your heart is already involved. Keep us updated and, again, hopefully, it's just a weird puppy thing and will be resolved.

AuggieTheDoggie · Sep 14, 2017

Thank you both for your kind words

I spoke with a board certified pet cardiologist here in Phoenix AZ. We're scheduled for the 28th of September. Its $610 for a check up and the echo-cardiogram.

Fingers crossed I hear back about the stool sample and this is viral related and can be cleared up or its something he would still grow out of.

Anyone have experience in the age Frenchies can grow out of a condition like this? Or how serious a 3/6 murmur is?

Thanks

2bullymama · Sep 14, 2017

Welcome... your Auggie is precious!!
[MENTION=1]bullmama[/MENTION] has insight on murmurs

Wishing all the best--- healing prayers for you little man

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Alice Kable · Sep 14, 2017

:smileywelcome: to you and Auggie. He is adorable!!!

lisamarie · Sep 15, 2017

Auggie really is a cutie pie! I can see why you and your girlfriend are in love with him

I can't relate to the heart murmur in a young pup but I can say a prayer that the meds will clear up the infection and all is well with Auggie's heart[emoji190][emoji252]

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bullmama · Sep 15, 2017

I am so sorry to hear about your baby. Grade three is so borderline-- could be fixable, could never even change their life at all, could need meds or surgery.... next step will be to see a specialist and get an echocardiogram done if it doesn't improve to a 2 or 1 over the next month. Without knowing what it was earlier in his life we don't know if the valve is closing at all so that would be the next steps.

Jakeyjake · Sep 15, 2017

Looks like you got some good advice here but just wanted to say welcome to you and your sweet Auggie!

davidh · Sep 16, 2017

I would make sure he is drinking plenty of water and have him checked again in a month. If they are dehydrated it will sound as if they have a murmur. Also if the murmur is still there after the next exam, then I agree, I would let a specialist check him. As [MENTION=1]bullmama[/MENTION] said it may be fine or can be corrected with meds. I have seen young ones like that and as they got older, the murmur went away. Just make sure he is getting plenty of water so he is not dehydrated.

Leonardthefrenchie · Sep 17, 2017

Hopefully everything is good

AuggieTheDoggie · Sep 17, 2017

Thank you all for your sweet sweet words and advice. He is here on my lap and I am absolutely hoping for the best.

I hope I was not going against the guidelines of this forum and I feel uneasy about reaching out to strangers, but I did start a gofundme for little Auggie.
We are only looking to raise $600 for the time being..My hope is that he has either something that will not affect the longevity of his life, or theres a surgical treatment for him. FINGERS CROSSED!!

Please contact me via PM for the link to his gofundme page, if you wish to contribute.
And here is the link to some pictures and his vet write up just to make his medical write up accessible!
https://imgur.com/a/tmcfh ( under treatment the state the 3/6 stosic HM or heart murmur)

I kindly thank you <3