Veterinary Technician Practice Exam 2026 - Free Veterinary Technician Practice Questions and Study Guide

A murmur is an abnormal heart sound that is explicitly linked to the function of heart valves. It is created by turbulent blood flow within the heart, which can occur for various reasons, including structural abnormalities of the valves, increased blood flow, or conditions that affect the heart's hemodynamics.

When examining the heart, especially during auscultation—meaning the act of listening to the internal sounds of the body—veterinary technicians and veterinarians pay close attention to these murmurs. They can indicate a variety of heart issues, including regurgitation (backward flow of blood) or stenosis (narrowing of the valve), and can play a crucial role in diagnosing conditions such as congenital heart defects or acquired valvular diseases.

Other options do not accurately describe heart sounds associated with valve function. Bradycardia refers to a slower than normal heart rate, arrhythmia denotes irregular heart rhythms, and auscultation is the process used to listen for heart sounds, rather than a type of heart sound itself. Thus, a murmur is the correct term that encapsulates the concept of abnormal heart sounds linked specifically to heart valve function.