EXPLORATION OF A HEART MURMUR
EXPLORATION OF A HEART MURMUR
Understanding a detected murmur in an otherwise healthy patient
• Murmur detected during routine exam
• Puppies and kittens (innocent vs congenital)
• Adult or senior patients
• Pre-anesthetic cardiac assessment
Schedule your pet’s heart ultrasound
Clarifying the nature of a detected murmur and ensuring safe clinical decisions.
A heart murmur is a frequent finding during routine physical examination.
In many cases, the patient is clinically healthy, and the murmur is discovered incidentally – during a wellness visit, vaccination appointment, or pre-anesthetic evaluation.
- Echocardiography is the only diagnostic tool that allows accurate characterization of a murmur and determination of its clinical significance.
- All examinations are performed on site by an experienced Veterinary Sonographer and reviewed within 48 hours by a Board-Certified Veterinary Cardiologist.
Learn why is it worth it
Why Explore a Heart Murmur?
Auscultation alone cannot determine:
Whether a murmur is innocent or pathological
The underlying cause
The severity of potential heart disease
Echocardiography provides clear answers and allows your clinic to make confident decisions -without unnecessary referral.
In adult patients, a newly detected murmur may be associated with:
• Degenerative valve disease
• Cardiomyopathies
• Structural heart changes
Echocardiography allows assessment of:
• Valve morphology and regurgitation
• Cardiac chamber size
• Systolic function
• Disease stage and severity
This information guides appropriate treatment and follow-up planning.
In young patients, murmurs are common and often benign – but congenital heart disease must be ruled out.
Echocardiography allows us to:
• Differentiate innocent (physiologic) murmurs from congenital defects
• Identify conditions such as PDA, VSD, pulmonic or subaortic stenosis
• Provide a clear prognosis to owners
• Determine whether monitoring, treatment, or referral is needed
This avoids both missed diagnoses and unnecessary concern.
When a murmur is detected prior to anesthesia, echocardiography plays a key role in risk assessment and anesthetic planning.
It helps to:
• Confirm whether anesthesia can proceed safely
• Identify patients requiring protocol adjustment
• Reduce peri-anesthetic cardiac risk
This is particularly important in geriatric patients or those undergoing major procedures.
What Your Vet Clinic Receives ?
After each murmur exploration study, your clinic will receive:
✔ A cardiologist-validated written report within 48 hours
✔ Diagnostic interpretation
✔ Assessment of clinical significance
✔ Severity grading if applicable
✔ Recommendations for monitoring or treatment
✔ Guidance regarding anesthetic risk when relevant
How It Works ?
Appointment Scheduling
If your regular veterinarian feels that a cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) is needed for your pet, they will contact Mobile Pet Echo directly to schedule the exam.
This ensures:
-The exam is truly indicated
- Coordination between your veterinarian and our service
- A smooth and simple process for you as a pet owner
You do not need to contact a referral hospital yourself
Our Services
Accurate diagnosis when it matters most !
EXPLORATION OF A HEART MURMUR
Understanding a detected murmur in an otherwise healthy patient
• Murmur detected during routine exam
• Puppies and kittens (innocent vs congenital)
• Adult or senior patients
• Pre-anesthetic cardiac assessment
DIAGNOSIS OF HEART FAILURE
When a dog or cat presents with signs of congestive heart failure (CHF), rapid and accurate diagnosis of the underlying heart disease is essential.
Mobile Pet Echo provides in-clinic echocardiography to help your veterinary team understand why heart failure has developed and how best to manage it.
SCREENING FOR HEREDITARY/DISEASE-PREDISPOSED CARDIAC CONDITIONS
Certain dog and cat breeds are genetically predisposed to specific cardiac disorders. Early detection – even before clinical signs develop – allows for timely management and improved long-term outcomes.