Hi, I recently took my dog to the vets for her yearly checkup. I have a 7 year old doberman who is very active and who has shown absolutely no symptoms of there being anything wrong with her whatsoever. However, upon examining her, the vet discovered that she had a heart murmur and irregular heart beat. He attached her to a machine which printed off this graph showing the beats, normal ones going up and the irregular one going down. Obviously this did not mean much to me. I don't wish to question the professionalism of my vet or sound that I don't care about my pet but he does have a bit of a reputation for finding out if you are insured and then stinging you for things you don't necessarily need. I guess the question I'm asking is, if my dog has a heart problem wouldn't I at least suspect something wrong, i.e. shortness of breath, coughing. He's put her on Vetmedin which he now says she will need for the rest of her life.

Our vet says: Think of the heart as a pump. If a pump has, let's say, a slightly leaky valve or pumps just slightly in the wrong way, you might not notice the problem immediately. However as the water in the pump goes slightly in the wrong direction, further damage is done until more and more water flows abnormally and eventually the pump fails..... and you are swimming in lots of water which should not be there!

The heart is really a pump which the body uses to distribute blood around the body. Unlike a mechanical pump, it has some reserve capacity so that when things start to go wrong, mechanisms are in place to compensate for the problem and get the blood flowing to where it needs to go. This means that by the time you notice a problem, things have gone past the point of compensation and the pump is really in trouble.

The signs you mention of coughing and shortness of breath are signs of fluid accumulation in the lungs, so the fluid is not moving where it should go at all, and the heart is having to work REALLY hard by this stage.

As veterinary medicine progresses we are able to detect problems BEFORE the clinical signs become apparent. If treated early we know we can prolong the life-span and also the quality of life too! This is great but can lead to problems when pets appear perfectly well as yours does.

I understand that you do not wish to treat your pet unnecessarily, but if treated early the outcome for pets with heart disease is much improved. If I were you I would be reassured due to the fact that an ECG ( which I assume the graph was) has been taken.

It can be very difficult for vets sometimes! Preventative treatment and early care of disease (before signs are necessarily apparent to owners) is the best practice of medicine and represents the very best of care for animals. In the end it is most likely to work out cheaper than letting animals develop serious signs and having to pay for expensive hospital treatment and life saving procedures later on. However this type of medicine can be seen as unnecessary by many clients since their pet is "well". I would say ignore what other people say about your vet's "reputation" and be thankful that he is sensible enough to offer the very best of care available. Remember that it is a vet's job to offer the best of care available, but you always have a choice in what is done for your pet.

I hope all goes well for your dog, I know you must care very much for your pet and it sounds as if you have a very good vet!

Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions

Showing similar questions and answers in this category

Can dogs get hepatitis C?

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 11-Aug-10 10:48AM | viewed 1194 times

Louise asks:

Hello, Three days ago while on his walk my dog picked up a heroin user's spoon wrapped in tin foil. Can dogs contract and pass on the human form of hepatitis C? I asked my vet and I've been trying to find out from different help-lines since it happened but no one knows the answer. I've been told that HIV is a human disease only. I am sick with worry. Please could you advise me. I would really appreciate your advice. Yours, Louise.

Our vet says: A far as I understand Hepatitis C is a human only disease and not a zoonotic disease (transfered from animals to people). The only animal species which seems to be affected by Hepatitis C is the Chimpanzee but this would usually be under experimental conditions. Likewise HIV is not a problem in dogs.

Blood to blood contact is needed for the transmission of Hepatitis C so it would be unlikely to be a problem just from a spoon. Used needles and syringes are a problem for transmission of disease and you would be wise to avoid known areas for this activity for dog walking since it may be a risk if you come into contact with such items yourself.

You are unlikely to experience any problems from this incident for yourself or your dog but do take care where you walk in future and if in any doubt contact your GP.

Kidney failure

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 19-Feb-10 10:21AM | viewed 7672 times

Beverley asks:

Could I have caused kidney failure in my greyhound by giving her too much salt in her food as I know that salt is poisonous to greyhounds?

Our vet says: Adding salt to a dog's food or feeding a salty diet is not really an ideal thing to do, but it is unlikely that you actually caused your dog's kidney failure by doing so.

You do not say how much salt you have been adding or which salty diet you have been feeding. It may be best to investigate diets which are specially formulated for dogs with renal failure now. ( I am sure your vet will be able to advise you).

Salt poisoning generally only results when high salt diets are fed and access to water is restricted. The signs are serious and involve neurological problems, so you would have noticed that your dog was really unwell if this had been the case.

So why do we worry about salt?

Basically if the diet is too salty the kidneys must work harder to maintain the fluid balance of the body which is one of their main jobs.

The kidneys are remarkable organs and have several functions including maintaining the balance of the water in the body together with electrolytes and they also help to eliminate toxins. Part of their function includes maintaining fluid balance and salt can make this work harder to do because it tends to "hold water".

The kidneys have a great deal of reserve capacity so we only see signs of failure when around 75% of their function has been lost.

Nephrons or kidney cells are lost over time as part of the natural aging process. You do not say how old your dog is, but if she is middle aged to older then it is likely that the kidney failure is more due to the aging process than anything else.

Of course infections and toxins can also cause renal failure too but the kidneys can often overcome many problems simply because they have such a large reserve capacity.

Although a salty diet means that the kidneys have to work harder it is unlikely that this alone would cause renal failure unless you were feeding large amounts over a long period of time.

It can be difficult not to feel guilty when your pet is unwell, but do not blame yourself. It is very unlikely that you caused any real harm. It may be best to consider feeding your dog(s) a good quality dog food suitable for their life stages, breed and state of health from now on.

Skin tags

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 06-Jul-09 09:19PM | viewed 90931 times

John asks:

Hello, my eight month old cocker spaniel appears to have what looks like bubbles near her eyes and on her face near her mouth. They are attached to her body and I suppose resemble skin tags. They do not irritate her at all. She has had them before on her head and back of her neck but they disappeared. They are tiny and just look like little bubbles. Have you any ideas please? Thank you.

Our vet says: Without seeing your dog it is impossible to say exactly what these could be, but I would suggest that it is worth finding out from your vet if these are ticks. Since ticks can carry disease it is always worth trying to prevent the problem by treating your dog for them regularly. Do not try to remove ticks yourself since this can cause problems if it is done incorrectly.

Upset stomach in dog

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 03-Jul-09 03:06PM | viewed 93674 times

Sue asks:

My 14 year old Yorkie is having loose motions with blood and hard motions. He is straining when they are hard. He also passes foul smelling wind. Can you advise me please?

Our vet says: At 14 years of age any problem such as this should be taken seriously. You should ask your vet to check your dog for you since he must be quite uncomfortable!

Pus oozing from eyes

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 13-May-09 10:49PM | viewed 148847 times

Mohit asks:

My dog has a swollen face near the left eye. The swelling is now a hard lump and has been there for almost a month. Twice he bled from his nose and eyes. Today pus is oozing from his eyes. Please advise what could be the cause and how it should be treated.

Our vet says: This sounds serious and could possibly be a tumour but without seeing your dog it is impossible to say for sure. Take him to your vet, this cannot be diagnosed or treated over the internet. Sorry we cannot help further.


	Showing 1 to 5 of 5 found

Your Questions Answered

soft stools in one kitten yet other kitten fine

KT asks: Bluebell's brother, Marcel, seems to be healthy and eats dry kitten food provided, Bluebell on the other hand ... view

roger the cat refuses to eat

Mary asks: Please help. Roger, our 12 year old and much-loved cat, has simply stopped eating. We have tried ... view

further question about Hepatitis C

Louise asks: Hello, I just asked a question about my dog but I left out something. My dog picked up a heroin ... view

Can dogs get hepatitis C?

Louise asks: Hello, Three days ago while on his walk my dog picked up a heroin user's spoon wrapped in tin foil. ... view

Laser Surgery for Stenotic Nares (Persian Cats)

Si asks: Our persian cat is 5 months old and although he was born with nice, open nostrils they seem to ... view

MALE CAT LACK OF LIBIDO

Tina asks: Hello - I breed and shown persian cats. I imported an unproven, entire, male well over a year ... view

Anaesthetic

Jackie Taylor asks: My horse has chronic founder laminitis. X-rays have shown a small amount of rotation of the pedal bones in ... view

Cat's neck swollen

Helen asks: There is a swollen area between my 13 week old kitten's shoulder blades. It is definitely uncomfortable when touched. ... view

cat limping

Deborah asks: My cat has come home limping and he hisses when he is touched. His paw is swollen . ... view

Heart problems

Paula asks: Hi, I recently took my dog to the vets for her yearly checkup. I have a 7 ... view

how many years?

Kathryn asks: Hi I'm Kathryn and I'm really interested in becoming a vet. I would like to know how many years ... view

I think my dog has an ulcerated esophagus

Joanna asks: Hi my dog is 13- 14 yrs. old and has been developing a cough-gag symptom over the last 2 ... view

Kidney failure

Beverley asks: Could I have caused kidney failure in my greyhound by giving her too much salt in her food as ... view

Red testicles

Julie asks: I have a four year old staffordshire bull terrier who has not been neutered. His testicles are extremely red ... view

Felix makes crunching noises when eating pheasant

Richard asks: Crunching noises might be damaging his teeth? Is this a concern. ... view

Blue film on cat's eye

Karen asks: My cat has a blue film over one of her eyes. She is almost closing her eye. ... view

Bloated Stomach

Rose asks: Hi, My dog lucky is a jack russel and is 13 years old. Her stomach in the last few ... view

Urinating

Sharon asks: We have a 3 year old cat we got from Cat's Protection last year. The past few days she's ... view

Major worries with Midnight.

Alan asks: My kitten (unfortunately I have forgotten its DOB) has had major issues. It started yesterday evening when he was ... view

Tremors in chihuahua

Craig asks: In the last couple of hours our 16 month old chihuahua has developed a kind of mini electric shock ... view

Veterinary prescription medication

Vetgb supplies guaranteed UK licensed medication, dispensed to prescription by a UK veterinary surgeon. We also offer a range of non-prescription products including pet accessories, pet care and grooming products, specialist veterinary diets and supplements, herbal remedies, homeopathic and nutraceutical therapies, training and behavioural products, bedding and toys for your pet.

Our commitment to you

Discounted prices
Fast delivery
Genuine UK approved products
Easy to use ordering system
Veterinary information
Vetgb.com is owned and managed by a UK vet

© vetgb.com 2010 | Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy | All Rights Reserved | All Trademarks observed | No responsibility taken for links to external sites or any content beyond our control. Disclaimer: The content of this website is based upon the information available to vetgb.com, unless otherwise stated. Reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy. Errors and omissions excepted. Individual articles, extracts, comments and any links to external sites are based upon the opinions of the respective author(s). The information on this website is not intended to replace a consultation with a qualified veterinary professional and is not intended as medical advice.