Heart murmur in dogs can have the same risks as they do in humans
. Many will have a murmur that never develops into any severe complications, whereas other dogs with a murmur may be in the early stages of heart disease down the road. This isn't something you can diagnose at home by yourself in most instances: Many heart murmur in dogs are found during yearly checkups, or any other time your veterinarian may have reason to check your dogs heartbeat.
In most cases your vet will detect what he/she believes is a possible murmur with a stethoscope, then will schedule an Echo-cardiogram or X-ray to confirm the presence of an actual murmur. Many owners may scoff at the thought of paying for such procedures: But it's important to keep in mind that they are indeed necessary, as a heart murmur in dogs is easily pinpointed with these procedures, while a stethoscope may lead to a false diagnosis when nothing was wrong at all.
Most dogs with a murmur will show very little symptoms. The most common symptom to look for is a dog who gets tired very quickly when they're exercising. An inactive animal will obviously get tired because they aren't in good physical condition: But if an otherwise healthy dog seems to tire quickly -- get them to a vet for a checkup.
Treatments
There is no clear-cut treatments set aside for heart murmur in dogs. Most of the changes that you, as an owner will be able to make will be dietary ones. Like humans, dogs are sensitive to the effects of sodium, high blood sugar levels -- so your best bet would be to find a quality food that meets those requirements and continue giving your pet regular exercise. In some cases your pet may benefit from surgery to repair the valves in their heart, but this is a rare form of treatment.