Heart murmur - gets very tired playing - related?

[BethanyShondark]

We brought our chin Thaddeus to the vet a few weeks ago and he had a clean bill of health except the vet told me he had a level two heart murmur. She said it was a very normal thing in chins and we would monitor it going forward.

I feel like he's sort of a lethargic little guy. He doesn't really move around much during the day. When we let him out to run around he'll only do so for twenty minutes or so, and then he jumps back into his cage to lie down by himself.

The other morning he ran around for a full hour and tuckered himself out so much that he jumped into his cage and immediately passed out. I was almost concerned he was in distress he was so out of it. I took a picture of him fast asleep, he didn't even bother going into his hideaway.

Is this normal or could he be more easily tired because of the murmur? Is there anything I can do for him? Maybe a vitamin supplement or something?

 

[ticklechin]

The murmur severity besides the sound depends on the valve involved, mitral valve murmurs that progress to heart failure can respond to treatment, aortic murmurs not so much. Chin should be on a low protein, low fat diet, moderate exercise but not to the point of exhaustion that this chin has, look for signs of the problem progressing, tiredness, rapid breathing, poor appetite, an enlarged tummy, pale or bluish gums and ears, and a rapid, weak pulse.

 

[Brittany]

My chins also get tired after playtime, and lay down like that on their chillers for awhile afterwards. I've never had them checked for a heart murmur, so I don't know if it's related. However when chins run around they get warm, just like a human who exercises. Since they can't sweat they need some way to cool their body down (which is probably why laying on the chiller is so comfortable). I only let my chins out for 20-30 minutes a few times a week. They don't really need playtime at all, but I enjoy letting them out and interacting with them. 20-30 minutes seems to be a good length of time. I used to let them out longer, but they would return to their cages on their own to rest.

Do you do playtime in the bathroom? Bathroom tile is usually cooler than carpet or other flooring. My chins still get tired after playtime, but don't need to rest as long if I've had them in the bathroom verses another room in the house.

 

[Tanya]

I agree that moderate exercise is beneficial, but you should not let your chin play for too long.

You may consider using a Herbal Heart Remedy designed for herbivores. It is a safe product that can be used daily. It can also be used several times a week to support a healthy heart function. Unfortunately, no single commercial diet contains all nutritional elements to satisfy the cardiovascular system's nutritional requirements that are never static.