It is very painful to watch him go through this. Some days are better than others. Some days, and recently, I was for sure he was at the end. It's a very trying and difficult thing to go through. I wish you the best with your pup.

Hi anonymous,
thank you for your reply I had the pup checked for her 6week check and a severe murmur was heard which was then follow up by a cardiac specialist and many tests and ultrasounds. You would not know to look at her that there was anything wrong except for heavy breathing at this point but I was absolutely assured of the severe condition. If she were human a heart transplant may be possible, but unfortunately this is not usually performed on dogs due to equipment, costs and lack of qualified staff.
Michelle

What caused you to have the vet check him? Did he do a echocardiogram to verify it? I don't think they do it that young, but I may be wrong.

It all depends so much on how the pup is feeling now. I will give you a couple examples.

One pup years ago, naturally the pick of the litter, at around 10-12 weeks started slowing down, didn't have the energy of the rest, couldn't catch his breath, etc. I don't remember the exact heart problem diagnosed, but it was severe. The decision had to be made to put him down after a couple of months. It was so obvious, this poor baby was just withering away in front of our eyes.

The second example, a pup was diagnosed as being severe and the vet recommended putting the pup down. But there was no obvious signs, like the one above. Rather, the breeder kept him for a few months, he still seemed fine, so he was placed in a home with the understanding he might not live to be a year old. The last I knew he was 7 years old, doing great, in a home with other dogs and kids.

So, it all depends on so much. Only you know how the pup is doing, and can make the decision. Yes, it will break your heart when the time comes, whether soon or later.

Good luck

Robin,
thank you so much for your response and I can appreciate exactly with what you are as well going through. All the best.
Michelle

Michelle I can empathize with you on this one as we have an almost 5 month old male pup with a grade 3 murmur. I haven't yet had an Ultrasound done on him to determine the cause, I've been waiting for him to 'catch-up' on his growing. He started off tiny and frail and is still behind the curve.
What you do with your pup will be a decision you must make, one that you are comfortable with and is in her best interests. No one can TELL you what you need to do.
If you can provide for the pup and keep the commotion level down so as not to stress her, she may surprise you in how well she can live. She will likely have a shortened life, maybe somewhat compromised too. On the other hand, if she isn't suffering, there is no limit to the joy she could derive from life and bring to you too.
In our case, we elected to commit to raising this pup and dealing with his issues as they come. He is a delight to have and a good reminder that even though he is not a 'complete' pup, he can have a full life....for however long that might be.
I would certainly understand if someone else felt they couldn't deal with the possible issues involved and elected to return the pup or have it put down. I feel that it is a personal decision based on what you feel capable of dealing with.
We know when the time comes to say good bye to this boy, it will rip us up, but until then we want him to enjoy his life, and for us to enjoy his unique spirit.

Michelle, I think pulmonic stenosis means there's a narrowing of one of the valves/veins, and there is surgery that can enlarge it. I'm not sure how successful this is, but it would be worth it to do some research. Check online for a web site....or maybe you discussed this with your dog's heart specialist? What grade is the murmur?

Dear Emily I also wish you the best.
Michelle