How long can my pet live without surgery

My dog was diagnosed with a grade 6 heart murumr and severe damage to the heart.  she can have surgery but the vet does not know if she will survive the surgery.  how long can a dog (only 18 mos) live without surgery with a severe heart problem?  I can feel vibrations when i touch her chest - almost like a continuous electrical vibration.  I have never felt anything like this when touching an animal.  She does not cough or appear sick.   Thanks.

[Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.]

Hi,

The answer to your question depends on the diagnosis. A murmer is only a symptom of an underlying problem. I am guessing from the severity of the murmer, the age of the dog and the suggestion for surgery that the problem is one that can in fact be corrected with surgery. Such a problem may be a patent ductus arteriosus or other heart anatomical abnormality. Before getting an answer to this question, prognosis without surgery, you ought to see a board certified veterinary cardiologist (credential is DACVIM-cardiology) to learn about the diagnosis, procedure to fix and prognosis. You dont have to pursue it if you choose not to just because you see the specialist, but for  ayoung dog with this sort of problem, you should. In Chicago there are many good specialists in the area (see www.acvim.org to find one) or consider going to the veterinary college at Urbana-Champaign.

Please let us know what you find out.

Sincerely,

Arnold L. Goldman DVM, MS
MedHelp & PDOC