My chihuahua and a heart murmur.

[Athidus]

Yes, my chihuahua has a heart murmur. She is given the typical medication for dogs with this condition however she does not seem to make much improvement. I have read on L-Carnitine and Taurine and I have read that these supplements can vastly improve her condition. I ask if this is true.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

My dog was just diagnosed, too. It's very common in tiny dogs. A lot depends on what part of the heart the murmur is coming from (my dog had an ultrasound to find out). The murmur is typically secondary to something else going on. For example, my dog has heart valve problems.

Sometimes they progress, sometimes not. My dog's heart is currently fully compensating for the murmur so he's not on any meds yet.

There's a severity scale for heart murmurs 1-6, 6 being most severe. My dog is a 4. Do you know what yours is?

So, many things go into the decision to medicate and with what. I do have a few easy to read articles about heart murmurs in dogs. They were very helpful to me. I'd be happy to send you copies if you pm me your address- and to anyone else interested.