Heart murmurs in dogs can be scary and dangerous. They happen when blood flow disturbance leads to excess vibrations of the heart, sometimes to the point that you can hear the vibration!
Here’s what you need to know:
Grades
Grades are given to heart murmurs in order to categorize their severity. There are six grades:
- Grade I. The murmur is almost not audible.
- Grade II. The murmur can be picked up by a stethoscope, but is still soft.
- Grade III. There is some moderate loudness, often due to blood circulation issues.
- Grave IV. A murmur that is loud enough to hear from one end of the chest to the opposite one.
- Grade V. A significantly loud murmur that only needs a light stethoscope touch, with a vibration you can feel.
- Grade VI. An extremely loud murmur.
Configurations
Configurations are indicative of the heart murmur’s pattern. There are three of them:
- Crescendo-Decrescendo. This murmur pattern becomes louder, then softer.
- Plateau. This murmur pattern remains the same.
- Decrescendo. This murmur pattern gradually becomes softer.
Types
There are many different causes of heart murmurs, and the exact cause depends on the type of heart murmur. Here are the common types.
- Diastolic Heart Murmurs. This type of murmur happens when the heart muscles are relaxed.
- Systolic Heart Murmurs. As opposed to diastolic murmurs, these happen when the heart muscles are contracted.
- To-and-Fro Heart Murmurs. Known also as a continuous murmur, these murmurs occur anytime, no matter what stage the heartbeat is in.
If you think your dog has a heart murmur, bring them to a vet immediately.
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