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Is my dog's heart murmur my fault for not doing dental sooner?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Beagle | Male | neutered | 11 years old | 24 lbs

did I cause my dog's heart murmur because i didn't get his teeth cleaned sooner. because i was scared to put him under.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Catherine Stecyk

Veterinarian

Published on July 1st, 2018

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You can rest assured that you did not cause your dog's heart murmur! Heart murmurs can occur because of structural changes to the valves or chambers of the heart, which are relatively common in smaller dogs breeds. They can also occur because of anemia (low red blood cell number), infections in the heart, and unfortunately even tumors in heart. You are right in thinking that dogs with heart murmurs are at a higher risk of anesthetic complications, so your veterinarian will need to adjust their anesthetic protocol for any surgical or dental procedures. I hope this is helpful!

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