Information Provided by Breeders and Referring Veterinarians about the Presence and Meaning of a Murmur to Owners of Newly Purchased Puppies with a Later Confirmed Congenital Heart Disease

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The first veterinary health check in puppies typically takes place at 6 weeks of age and includes listening to the heart. A heart murmur at this age can be innocent, but it can also indicate the presence of a congenital heart disease. Congenital heart diseases rarely cause clinical signs at this age, but they might lead to severe problems and even death months to years later. The best way to find out what exactly a murmur means is to refer the puppy to a veterinary cardiology specialist for an echocardiogram, preferably before the puppy is sold to a new owner. Breeders usually sell their puppies at 8–10 weeks of age, i.e., weeks after the first veterinary screening. In the present study, all owners whose dogs were diagnosed with a congenital heart disease at the authors’ cardiology service, were asked to fil in a questionnaire. Of the 60 owners, 77% did not know about their dogs’ murmur when they bought them. However, 72% of the owners would not have bought that puppy if they had known about the possible congenital heart disease. We conclude that most owners would refrain from buying a puppy with a hidden heart disease, but, in most cases, they were not informed. ABSTRACT: Background: A recent study revealed that only 10% of puppies diagnosed with a congenital heart disease were referred for murmur investigation to a veterinary cardiology specialist while the puppies were in the breeders’ possession. Whether the new owners had been informed about the presence of a murmur before purchasing a puppy was not investigated. Methods: New owners whose dogs were diagnosed with a congenital heart disease at the authors’ institution in a 1-year period received a questionnaire during the consult after cardiac auscultation but before performing an echocardiogram. The main study aims were to reveal whether the breeders had informed the new owners about the presence of a murmur before purchasing the puppy, and whether the owners would have still chosen to buy that specific puppy if they had known about a potentially present congenital heart disease. Results: Of the 60 interviewed owners, 72% would have refrained from buying the puppy if they had known about the presence of a congenital heart disease. However, only 23% of them were informed about the presence of a cardiac murmur before purchase. Conclusions: Most owners would have chosen to buy a healthy puppy without a heart disease if they had been informed.