Symptom6 connections · 3 sources
Heart Murmur
A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard during auscultation (listening with a stethoscope) caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart. Murmurs are graded I-VI by intensity and may or may not indicate significant heart disease.
Key Facts
- Graded I (barely audible) to VI (audible without stethoscope, with palpable thrill)
- Innocent/physiologic murmurs: common in kittens and puppies; often resolve with age
- Pathologic murmurs: caused by structural heart defects, valve disease, or cardiomyopathy
- In cats, a murmur may be the only sign of hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy
- Not all cats with heart disease have murmurs; not all murmurs indicate heart disease
- echocardiogram is needed to determine if a murmur is significant
- Species: dogs and cats
Connections (6)
Related Conditions
CardiomyopathyCondition
May be detected on physical exam, prompting investigation
Congestive Heart FailureCondition
Severe murmurs may indicate valve disease leading to CHF
Heart DiseaseCondition
Murmurs prompt investigation for underlying cardiac conditions
Patent Ductus ArteriosusCondition
Turbulent blood flow through the open ductus creates a characteristic continuous murmur.
Ventricular Septal DefectCondition
Turbulent blood flow across the defect commonly produces an audible murmur.