Heart Murmur

Dr Joanna Woodnutt MRCVS

Heart murmurs are abnormal heart sounds. Instead of the usual ‘lub dub’, a heart murmur has a whoosing, swishing, or shushing sound over or between the normal ‘lubdub’.

The ‘lubdub’ noise is the valves of the heart closing. A heart murmur is created when blood moves strangely through the heart, which we can hear as a whooshing noise. This might happen due to an anatomical problem like a leaky valve (mitral valve disease) or a hole in the heart, or it might happen because the blood is too thin and watery (anaemia).

‘Innocent’ heart murmurs are fairly common in young puppies, but all heart murmurs should be checked by a vet at the earliest opportunity.

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