Hey guys. My husband and I just got a golden retriever puppy for Christmas. His name is Simba and he is now 10 weeks old. It is the first dog either of us have had and we have been anticipating this day for a long time. We took him to the vet a week after we got him to get his 2nd set of shots and for a wellness checkup. That is when the vet informed us of Simba's heart murmur. She said it was a 3-5 on a 6 grade scale. She said that she thought it was significant enough to make a cardiologist appointment. We made one for the 29th of December.

The breeder we got Simba from said we could give him back, but there is no way that we would be able to do that. We love him so much and couldn't imagine giving him back.




There are so many unknowns.. We don't know what to do?

We don't have the resources to pay much more than reasonable medical expensives for him.

Does anyone know anything about what kind of life Simba will have if everything is confirmed and what we need to watch out for.

Our vet said to watch for a blue color to the gums, but he has a very dusky (whiteish) color to his gums already.

, Simba's mommy

Oh man, I am sorry to hear this. It's amazing how fast they capture our hearts and then to have something wrong with them is just devastating.

I don't know about heart murmers, never had a dog with one. The cardiologist is the best place though to start. And I would guess they can answer all your questions, give you the different scenarios, pro's and con's.

I will keep you and your Simba in my thoughts and prayers, please keep us updated and hopefully somebody will see this who does have knowledge will chime in.

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It is not uncommon for pups to have heart murmers that they grow out of. Did your vet mention that to you? I hope this is the case for you and Simba.

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Sorry to hear about the dx--watch for the signs your vet said, but try not to stress too much until you see the cardiologist who will be able to appropriately evaluate the murmur. Your pup may grow out of it, live just fine with it or need to have meds--whole spectrum of possibilities.

Did your pup's parents have heart clearances accomplished by a cardiologist?

When we notified the breeder she was very sympathetic and shocked. She took her dogs to her vet the next day and there were no problems with their hearts.

Oh I am so sorry to hear this and I understand how you would not be able to give him back. It is good you are going to a specialist. One of our goldens had a heart murmur and I think it was a grade 2 or 3. The good news is he out grew it so there is some hope. Good luck to you.

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Dis is da gamboi an da Gussee an angels BoBo an Emmikins

"What we have enjoyed we never lose. All that we loved deeply becomes a part of us." Helen Keller

Yes it is quite common for a young pup to have a hear murmur. I would have thought it would have been heard before 10 weeks but it may have been missed in earlier checks. Anytime things are not perfect with our pups/dogs we worry. But there is a very good chance this will pass and there will be no consequences from it. Paws crossed this is the case for Simba.

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Hank and the girls

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A practitioner vet can't clear a heart for breeding--well they can, but it's meaningless, GRCA recommends an examination performed by a cardiologist. If the specialist finds an actual murmur with long-term consequences, hopefully your breeder will refund the purchase price (vice asking you to return the pup) as well as get her dogs clearances (hips, elbows, heart & eyes) before breeding another round of puppies & potentially causing more heartache for unsuspecting puppy buyers.

where are you going for the cardiologist appt? I've used GVS in Atlanta and Auburn vet school for referrals with great success.

My spaniel has had a murmur for many years. Her breed is highly prone to them. She recently progressed from "murmur" to congestive heart failure and was put on medications. Although that sounds dire, in fact she could live for quite a while longer on the meds. She is almost 10 now. But it's hard to listen to her cough and have trouble breathing. We limit her activity and arrange our lives around her needs as much as we can.

I think you would be wise to have a heart to heart with the cardiologist. Ask about worst case scenarios, and the costs if in fact this is something your dog will not grow out of. I'm guessing you haven't purchased health insurance since you are concerned about the costs.

I understand that you don't want to give the puppy back, but if you can't afford to provide it with needed health care, that's a problem. Hopefully the pup will have a long life ahead. What do you know about the breeder? A good one? Likely to take care of the puppy?

Sorry to sound negative, but I think you need to ask difficult questions right now for the sake of the puppy. I really, really hope the cardiologist tells you it's a juvenile murmur and your dog will grow out of it.

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.