Re: Heart Murmur

[ccarlton@library.ucla.edu]

On Fri, 25 Sep 1998 11:02:28 EDT SandyDSA@aol.com wrote:

 
> I would love to hear from vets and others who have had experience with horses
> with murmurs of any kind, illness or genetically related. Thanks!
> sandy
> 

A couple of years ago I was participating in the High Desert Triple 
Crown rides.  In the 20 Mule Team 55, I think, at the 2nd vet check Dr. 
Beason mentioned that he heard a murmur in my horse.  I had never heard 
it, nor had it been detected or mentioned by any other vet at other 
rides.  Later on in the ride, Dr. Beason heard it again and I asked if 
I should be worried (my gelding was 5 yrs old at the time).  He said 
that I shouldn't be too concerned, that in fact easily 20% of the 
horses participating in the ride have murmurs.

If murmurs are this common, I assume that most are genetic and not 
caused by illness.

We have gone on to participate in more 50s, and successfully completed 
our first one-day 100 last June.  Funny, no one has since mentioned the 
murmur and I'd actually forgotten about it.  

Question for the vets: isn't it sometimes possible that you'll hear 
more valve noise in some animals than others?  Years ago, during a 
physical exam, an intern told me that I had a heart murmur.  Later, my 
primary physician said no, but that with my small size and shallow 
chest, they can "hear more" than in other people, so they mistake that 
for a murmur.

Does this make sense?
 

Colleen Carlton
Sylmar, CA
carlton@library.ucla.edu