How will you respond to Mrs Richardson?

• Option A

  “The murmur I can hear is significant; this means Reggie is more likely to have an enlarged heart. We assess the size of dogs’ hearts by performing a simple ultrasound or by taking an X-ray. It is important to find out if Reggie has an enlarged heart as then we can decide what is best for Reggie.”

• Option B

  “I can hear a heart murmur and so recommend we perform a test to check Reggie’s heart size, alternatively we can monitor Reggie and see how he is doing at his next check-up?”

• Option C

  “It is great that Reggie appears to be fit and healthy, however, he does have a significant heart murmur, and in Reggie’s case, being a slightly older gentleman this normally always indicates mitral valve disease. In order to take the best care of Reggie, we really need to check the size of his heart. If Reggie does have an enlarged heart caused by his heart disease, and we don’t start him on treatment soon then he’s likely to develop heart failure and start showing symptoms including difficulty exercising, breathlessness and possibly collapse in the near future. Are you happy for us to proceed or do you have any concerns?”