# Heart Murmur and pregnant



## carltonnoble (Sep 24, 2021)

Hi all, I feel like an idiot. My dog was in heat barely 3 months ago. She has progressed into a pretty bad heart murmur that has me worried. Two vets have diagnosed her with congenital heart failure and I have her on enalaprel and vetmedin. I’ve been watching her and take extra special care of her. Not letting her get to hot when she’s outside with the other dogs and such. I also have a male German shepherd that she has grown up with. She’s only a year old and I haven’t gotten her spade because the heart condition came upon her so fast. Well she started bleeding dropping blood. I thought it was just her body giving out and she was gonna pass pretty soon so I was watching her. I let her out with the other dogs for a little bit at a time and lo and behold my son came running saying the dogs were stuck together. I did not think she was in heat because it had only been like 3 months since her first heat. I know stupid me. She just turned a year old. I’m not trying to breed her. Now I’m worried and don’t know what to do. I’m not wanting to kill her. But I’m afraid the pregnancy and birthing process will. Also, What about the pups? Will they all have heart problems, if she’s even able to have them? I’m so confused and worried. This was not my intention.
Can anyone give me some suggestions? Or tell me what to expect? I know if I call the vet it’s always bad news. I probably will anyways but none the less is there any hope for my dog whatsoever?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Make an appointment with your vet, who knows about the heart condition and explain what happened. It may be best for them to spay her now. It may be best for her to go through with the pregnancy. My guess is that a complete spay might be easier on her than having a litter of puppies. That can be prolonged with the labor and then draining with the providing for the puppies, for a number of weeks. 

This is not so much a question for folks on an internet site. It is a better question for your vet, or a vet clinic that has both reproductive specialists and cardio specialists. Hearts or one of the things that the OFA certifies, so there is a genetic component. The thing is, there are a LOT of different heart conditions and what she has may or may not be genetic. It may be ok if the male is not affected or a carrier. This is why talking to a real specialist is your best bet. 

It's ok to get opinions here, and weigh everything, and make your best decision. But it may be best to get in to your vet as soon as possible. There is a day-after pill for dogs, I think. I think it is very risky. But what you have going is also very risky, so you want to go to people who have the education and are as up to date as possible, and can give you all your alternatives, and help you decide what the best timing is. For instance if you go through with the pregnancy, you might want to do a c-section rather than labor for 12-36 hours. The vets may think that is a terrible idea. I really don't know. 

Good luck. I recommend a reproductive specialist who can consult with a cardiologist.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

It's always a hard thing to discuss, but I would ask the vet if she has better odds of survival if you spay-abort (they do it in one procedure, and the earlier you do it the better). As there would be risk with that procedure (since it's a surgery), it might be best to do it at a specialty clinic or vet school hospital with an ER and ICU in case she needs lifesaving care. There may also be a medical (pill or injection) option to abort if it's very early. 

Your vet is in the best position to help you weigh which path holds the most risk for her. It's likely to be a hard decision.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

👆🏽all of that plus, you’ll need to find out if the medications she’s on is still safe.


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