A physiological heart murmur (PHM) can be identified in animals with no structural abnormalities of the heart and great vessels. It is a sound produced by blood flow, usually detected in puppies, but can be commonly observed in healthy young adult dogs. PHM may be a result of an increased sympathetic tone, and is possible to be secondary to anxiety. It has been described in some breeds and in athletic dogs during adulthood. A cross-sectional study was performed with 69 healthy Dachshunds, including 28 males (40,6%) and 41 females (59,4%), aged between 18 months to 10 years-old and weighting 8.4 ± 2.3 kg. The dogs underwent through physical examination, blood testing, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, blood pressure measurement, and thoracic radiography. No abnormalities were found. Systolic heart murmurs were detected in 36 dogs (52,2%): 32 (46,4%) with grade II/VI and 4 (5,8%) with grade III/VI (Levine/Freeman Scale). Murmurs were mostly located in mitral valve area (72,2%). Heart murmurs in adult dogs are frequently indicative of pathological conditions. However, none of the 36 dogs had structural heart abnormalities or systemic disturbances. Therefore, this study shows a high prevalence of PHM in healthy adult Dachshunds.

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