The Most Common Dog Breeds that Are at High Risk of Hart Disease ,
are generally feats pure breeds.
In Sweden we find it in Newfoundland, in Slovenia in Doberman , in England in the Boxer and in the Doberman In Campania we find it in the German Shepard ,Labrador and Neapolitan Mastibutto, Saint Bernards , Irish Wolfhound ,Newfoundlands
English Springer Spaniel,Cocker Spaniel-and Portuguese Water Dogs also have an inherited trait that can predispose them to the condition.
It is characterized by dilation of the cardiac chambers, and in particular of the sinister ventricle, with reduction of primitive contractile capacity: the sinister ventricle loses the ability to contract with what is called systolic deficit and dilation.
It is not very frequent, because large breeds have been reduced numerically.In fact, unlike mitral disease, it affects large/giant sizes and sometimes medium.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by several factors:genetics, nutrition, and infections.
It is Difficult to Find this Pathology in Dogs Under 12 kg.
You should keep your dog healthy and be careful about their food and weight.
This dilated heart disease also exists in the Cocker, where it takes on a character.
It’s in fact linked to the lack of carnitine
It can be found at all ages and especially in the Boxer and Doberman .There are curves that
show how it can appear even in advanced age (7-8-9 years), especially in the Doberman
This Disease Has a First Phase Called a Preclinical or Occult Phase
That is when animals have the pathology but this does not manifest itself, even for years; the only way to highlight it is to have an ultrasound, where the heart appears a little dilated and with a reduced contraction. The disease then tends to be slated when some other problem appears:in large breeds characteristic gastric torsion.The disease recognizes a phase of "latency" of variable duration (even years). Preclinical patients
They have no signs of CHF and the diagnosis is based solely on echocardiograms, which Indicate a reduction in contractility, or increased diameters. Preclinical patients can present only systolic dysfunction in the absence of eccentric hypertrophy and/or dilation.This occult form has been studied especially in the Doberman .
The Males are Most Affected by This Disease.
It is a genetic disease and various studies have been conducted especially on the most affected breeds, but none of these studies has led so far to the development of a genetic test.To study these heart diseases, we refer to the human: we study that which is present in human medicine and mutations present in humans are probed in the dog, but in the
most cases, the disease is phenotypically the same in dogs and humans.From genotypical view the situation is different. The mutation is reported in only two genes (PDK4 and STRN) and the Polymorphism of a single nucleotide on chromosome 5 has been associated with canine DCM.
The etiology is to be found in the dominant or recessive autosomal inheritance, or X-linked.
There are Primitive DCM and The Secondary one:
- DCM induced tachycardia (arrhythmias);
- DCM induced by doxorubicin (especially in large sizes it is cardiotoxic);
- DCM from volumetric overload (PDA and CVD in large dogs);
- Nutritional DCM
carnitine
taurine in Cocker
It is important to understand if we are facing a primitive or secondary form
Medical History
We find anterograde insufficiency, so the owner reports that the animal is weak, has decreased appetite, lethargy, collapse but in the same way, if the blood does not arrive, it does not return,so the left insufficiency also ends up becoming the right insufficiency, as we will find stasis of the return circle: swollen abdomen from ascites, breathing difficulties.
Direct Clinical Examination
I will have the signs of anterograde insufficiency:
- pale mucous membranes and cold extremities;
- pulse is weak;
- the abdomen can be stretched out if there is ascites;
- at cardiac auscultation I can have gallop rhythm, slight murmur (even the valvular ostium is
Dilatate and we will have relative mitral insufficiency), and arrhythmia (70/80% of cases).
What Can You do For Your Pet With DCM
Beside the medical treatments and medications that your veterinarian choose to treat your dog with, you can help our dog by changing his diet.Depending on breeds ,you can include carnitine or taurine supplements. There is a theory of existing link between heart disease and dogs being fed with a non -traditional diet.These dogs might be saved and returned to normal with just change in diet.
Written by Imrana Sljivo DVM 🐾
Reference
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cardiovascular/enlarged-heart-dilated-cardiomyopathy-dogs
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