Thread: Heart Murmur
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Old February 5th, 2011, 10:38 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cassiek View Post
Vet put her at a 2-3 yesterday. She told me not to panic (it's like she knows me too well or something ), but if I started to notice symptoms (coughing, can't keep up with exercise etc), to bring her back and there are some excellent heart meds we could put her on.
Is a cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) an option? That could help narrow down what the nature of the murmur is and which type of medications (ie beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, etc) would be most helpful.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cassiek View Post
I was doing some research today and came across some articles that mentioned a few supplements that can help strengthen the heart. One mentioned hawthorn. I'm wondering if it would be beneificial to start her on something like this? Of course I'd discuss with vet first, but would love to hear other's thoughts and experiences.
Not sure about using hawthorn in dogs, but in cats there are some cautions about giving it without knowing what the specific heart condition is (HCM, DCM, RCM). Something to do with how it "strengthens" the heart muscle, which may not be what you want if the heart has a lot of thickening. Don't quote me though - definitely talk to your vet about it.

Coenzyme Q10 is something I'd recommend trying. I give it to my HCM kitty, and there are no problematic side effects. http://www.dogsincanada.com/coenzyme-q10
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