Comments on: Doberman Pinscher Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) Simplified

By: Cindy Adair

Cindy Adair — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 11:41:47 +0000

This was a great article, thank you so much!!!! Our 8-year-old Doberman was diagnosed with DCM and congestive heart failure 6 months ago – which is when we also found out about the possible negative effects of a grain free diet (which she had been eating for many years). Upon learning about these possible negative impacts of a grain free diet, we immediately switched her back to a grain containing diet. Besides the medications her cardiologist prescribed (Vetmedin and Lasik), we also put her on CQ10, L-carnitine, taurine and fish oil supplements. She just had her 6-month checkup yesterday and she is doing fantastic! In her cardiologist’s words “I am pleasantly surprised and it’s remarkable how well she is doing”. All tests show her DCM has stabilized. The cardiologist said it is possible that she could potentially live 1-2 years. To all the Doberman owners out there who’s dog has DCM, all I can say is never give up hope!

By: John Walter

John Walter — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:28:11 +0000

In reply to Joe eichberger. So sorry to hear that Joe! I think there are some dog DCM specific groups on Facebook full of veterinarians and other professionals that might be able to help. There are some supplements that have had some promising results (specifically taurine supplementation, and a few others) which could be good to ask about. Good luck to you, definitely make sure every day is spent wisely because although you hope for the best, you never know.

By: Joe eichberger

Joe eichberger — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 02:23:18 +0000

Thanks John, a concise and clear piece. Unfortunately we are now trying to deal with DCM in our 5 yr old boy, Duke. We did not know about this condition, and are devastated to learn of it. We’ll be doing whatever we can to help him enjoy whatever time he has left.

By: John Walter

John Walter — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 05:48:52 +0000

In reply to Kris Fawcett. That's a great point Kris! Studying the lineage of the puppy will often tell you a lot more about genetic health of the dog than DNA testing. Pretty important.

By: Kris Fawcett

Kris Fawcett — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 05:54:26 +0000

Hi John Thank you for the great, informative read. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way about DCM when my girl was diagnosed at 6yo and died 10 months later. I wish I had known more before and had her screened earlier with echo and holter. I personally think that in addition to the gene testing, knowing what is in the breeder's lines is really important given the incomplete penetrance of these genes and that dogs negative for both / one can still develop DCM. Unfortunately here I don't think there is sufficient transparency on the part of breeders - between each other, and with owners - which helps perpetuate the problem. . Moving forward - I'm a huge fan of the Doberman Diversity Project - both my girls contributed to this. Anyhow, paws crossed my current girl reaches double digits

By: John Walter

John Walter — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 19:56:43 +0000

In reply to Mike. I'm so sorry to hear about your experience Mike! Yes, DCM is such a horrible condition. Thank you for sharing your experience though, it may very well help others!

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 19:20:31 +0000

Great article. Thanks!

Lost my last girl at age 8 to DCM. It came on fast: she developed a cough that sounded up-high in her throat, after 2 days her energy levels took a nose dive. On the night before bringing her into the vet (going into day 3) she had some “indoor bathroom issues”. (I could tell this was an abnormality, and so while she was embarrassed of her mistake, I am so happy that I was able to lie next to her and tell her “it’s okay…it happens to the best of us. No worries”). The vet took her in and it wasn’t more than 15-minutes later when she informed me of the bad news. I forget the unit of measure, but her heart was at a 14 instead of the healthy 10. We agreed that it was not to her benefit to treat. Time to go.

As hard as it is to deal with DCM, Dobi’s are still the best (though I may be a bit biased in my opinion.)

By: John Walter

John Walter — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 22:34:39 +0000

In reply to Norman H Renehan. I try to keep my most current food recommendations updated on this page: https://www.dobermanplanet.com/recommended-products/food-treats/

By: John Walter

John Walter — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 22:33:46 +0000

In reply to Norman H Renehan.

I’m so sorry to hear about Zeus! That’s just too young! To answer your questions:

1 – Yes, I feed my dog a diet that contains grains.
2 – There are some studies that show that European Dobermans might be slightly more inclined towards DCM. But it’s slight at best. However, there is a lot more testing of health issues such as DCM done in America on Dobermans than there are in Europe.
3 – Yes it makes the odds better, but doesn’t eliminate them completely. The most important thing is to do the DCM1 and DCM2 genetic tests to help get a better understanding of their risk level.
4 – I would imagine it makes the odds better to not be affected DCM but I don’t know for sure and haven’t seen any research related to this specific situation.
5 – Their genetic tests won’t change as they age (meaning their DCM1 and DCM2 results will be the same no matter what age they are tested). But you can do screening as the dog ages to see if they are possibly developing DCM since the genetic tests are only an indicator of their likelihood of getting the disease at some point in their lifetime. Regular screening, on the other hand, is your best bet for catching DCM issues early.

Hopefully, that helps shed some light on some of your questions!

By: Norman H Renehan

Norman H Renehan — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 10:48:23 +0000

PS: what type of food do you recommend?