A dog heart murmur is turbulent flow. The heart is just a big pump, so the heart should pump blood in one direction. And whenever there is abnormal blood flow or blood flow in two different directions, you hear that in the stethoscope. And that is what a heart murmur is.

Good question. The most common heart disease is broken apart into the type of dog. So our smaller breeds traditionally have mitral valve disease, which is a valve on the left side of the heart. And some of our larger breeds can have various problems, such as chamber enlargement or other conditions like that.

We do rely on our board-certified cardiologists, and we offer that referral. But we can detect many problems, and by doing the limited echos here, we can provide a lot of information on why the pet has heart disease, what type of heart disease, and start the medication to help improve that quality of life.

A board-certified cardiologist is a veterinarian that is specialized in cardiology. So they have gone to school a few extra years, and they have passed a test that certifies them in that specialty.

It can vary, depending on the cause of heart disease. But we can treat dog heart issues with medication similar to what you and I use.