[Dailydrool] Murmur vs cardiomyopathy

[Synthia and Hounds]

Bev, thanks for jumping on this faster than I could.
 
A heart murmur is a physical finding - end of sentence, period. It tells you nothing - well, quality, location, duration, systole or diastole - but it is a finding NOT A DIAGNOSIS. It means further study is indicated to see whether it is a benign flow murmur or something more sinister, which valve is affected, how severe the dysfunction is, etc. A talented and experienced clinician can make assumptions based on history and the rest of the exam and may start meds, but not just because of a murmur.
 
Cardiomyopathy, on the other hand, means actual dysfunction or injury of the heart muscle. There are varying degrees and types of cardiomyopathy and generally involve medication to improve the pumping capability and contractility of the heart. Blood pressure may also be treated to decrease the afterload, or work the heart does when it pumps. Often medications are very effective and a dog (or person) does quite well on the medication, but...
 
DO NOT EQUATE HEART MURMUR WITH CARDIOMYOPATHY! One is a physical finding (like a red throat may or may not be strep, or a brown spot on the skin may or may not be melanoma) and one is an actual diagnosis.
 
Please, be careful about being accurate with medical information and passing it on, as people can and do take misinformation seriously and potentially be at risk.
 
Synthia, now stepping away from the clinical soapbox, Zuma, Kahuna, and Fred (all waiting for breakfast) 		 	   		  
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