Your vet listens to your dog’s chest, pauses, and listens again. Then comes the word murmur. It sounds like a diagnosis, but it’s really just a description: the sound of blood moving through a heart valve that is not closing quite right.
Heart murmurs in dogs are common. The most frequent cause is myxomatous mitral valve disease, the most common heart disease dogs get, and small breeds and seniors are overrepresented. Most owners don’t realize that plenty of dogs live for years with a murmur and never need treatment.
What matters is what happens after a murmur is found. At the Fetch conference in Kansas City this week, cardiologist Brian Scansen walked veterinarians through the decision points: separating harmless murmurs from ones that need follow-up, choosing between X-rays and an echocardiogram, and timing treatment so it starts when it actually helps.
For owners, the practical takeaway is straightforward. A murmur is a reason to monitor, not to panic. Catch it early at a routine exam, ask what stage your dog is at, and watch for the signs that matter: tiring faster on walks, coughing at night, or breathing quicker than usual.
Heart disease in dogs is quiet, much like high blood pressure, which is why regular checkups earn their keep. If your dog is small, senior, or both, keep those annual visits booked. For the deeper picture, the keynote recap at dvm360 covers the full staging guidance.