Heart Murmur :(

[Zagazow]

Hello everybody:

I have a 1.5 year old Sphynx male (Clifford) who was diagnosed yesterday with a heart murmur I'm devastated.

About 6 months ago the vet thought he heard a murmur, but wasn't sure. Listened again and said he sounded fine and it was probably nerves. We went yesterday for vaccinations and the vet this time (a different vet at the same clinic) said he definitely had a heart murmur and described it as a "3 out of 5". He suggested doing an ultrasound which would cost $600 and confirm whether or not he has a murmur. When I asked what would be the next steps should I go forward with the ultrasound and if it were to confirm that there was a murmur, he was very vague and said possibly medication - depending on how serious it was and if he was starting to go downhill.

To give a bit of background, the vet that we use for routine work is more of a "barebones" place. I wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable with them for higher level diagnostic work etc, but they are fine for vaccinations etc. Hence, I also would be interested in getting a 2nd opinion before proceeding with any other testing etc.

My little Clifford is super active, loving, very energetic, plays lots with our other Sphynx as well as our dog, eats well etc. He truly is one of a kind and is 10x more active/energetic than our other Sphynx. He has gained one pound (he's now 8 and he was 7) since our last visit to the vet. I'm worried now that all of his wrestling and playing with the dog might stress his heart

What are all your thoughts? I'm so upset by all this. Of course the first thing that came to mind is HCM

Also, if anybody is anywhere close to Toronto, Ontario and can recommend a good small animal vet I'd appreciate it! I'd also be willing to drive to Buffalo if there's a good one there!

 

[Caloci]

I am sorry to hear Clifford may have a heart murmur. I would ask for a referral to a certified feline cardiologist. I wouldn't panic just yet either since two vets told you different things.

Keep in mind many cats live long happy lives with heart conditions. There are others here who can advise you once you find out what is going on.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Sillysphynx24]

I agree with Caloci, I would call around to some cardiologists and see what they charge for the ultrasound. $600 sounds pretty steep to me, ours are usually $300-500 from a cardiologist. Also you should check with hairless hearts, there website says they are doing monthly scans in Montreal for $140 from a cardiologist. Hope everything checks out ok.

 

[ilovedirt]

I'm sorry to hear this...I hope for the best for you and Clifford. I'm currently going through this with my boy Pharaoh. We just lost Amen-Ra to CHF and 10 days later, the vet says Pharaoh has a heart murmur. During the check up, she had said she could barely hear it, then in the patient report, she had ranked it a 2/6 so we're going to a different vet in a couple weeks for a second opinion. I'm also getting some money together for an echo. $600 sounds like too much, but maybe it's comparable after the exchange rate? My entire first visit to the cardiologist for Amen-Ra was about $700 and that included the first time consultation, the echo, a blood test for taurine deficiency and some new pills. Another cardiologist quoted me $450 for the first time consultation and the echo for Pharaoh. I would definitely get the echo though so you can find out if there is a problem or just the murmur. We'll keep our fingers (and paws) crossed for you.

 

[Teri*D]

I'm sorry! It's so hard to deal with sick animals. My prayers go out to you all!

 

[Hairless Blessing]

I am sorry to hear about your baby, Some other's here can
be of alot of help to you. I will pray for your baby and you.
Keep us updated with the progress.

 

[TwoSphynx]

One of my boys was diagnosed with a murmur at 6 weeks old and he is 18 months now and doing fine. He's booked to have an echo in July and I have been quoted $700. Its a lot of money but i believe it's money we'll spent for piece of mind. I hope everything works out well for your precious one.

 

[sciumi]

I'm so sorry How frightening!


As for veterinarians, I found mine through Yelp. I just did a quick search of "veterinarians" near Toronto on yelp.com and there are some promising options!


I actually started with a clinic that was farther away but more highly reviewed, but the vet I dealt with was a real jerk. Then I ended up going to a closer clinic when my other kitten was sick (like, 8 minutes walking door-to-door) that had mixed reviews and LOVED it! (a lot of the complaints were about the vet "pushing" dental care, which is a fault I can live with!)