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Dilated Cardiomyopathy - HELP!

Giulia

New member
Hi, I'm Giulia from Italy and I have a cavalier king charles spaniel whose name is Oliver and he's 4 years old.
Oliver has the dilated Cardiomyopathy, an illness typical of large breeds like Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes and Boxers. Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems.
In Italy there isn't any cavalier with this illness. I need to know if there are other cases in other countries and if the term cell can be used to attend Oliver.
thanks.

Giulia
 
Hallo Giulia

I'm so sorry to hear of Oliver's illness (I have an Oliver too!). I can't directly help you, but didn't want to leave your post unacknowledged. We have a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum and I'm sure someone will be able to give you information once the Christmas break is over - Rod Russell, who is a vet in the US, is always very helpful on medical matters.

Having got off to a bad start, I hope 2014 will get better for you and Oliver!

All the best

Kate, Oliver (12-year-old Ruby) and Aled (6-year-old Blenheim)
 
Hi, I'm Giulia from Italy and I have a cavalier king charles spaniel whose name is Oliver and he's 4 years old.
Oliver has the dilated Cardiomyopathy, an illness typical of large breeds like Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes and Boxers. Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems.
In Italy there isn't any cavalier with this illness. I need to know if there are other cases in other countries and if the term cell can be used to attend Oliver.
thanks.

Giulia

Who diagnosed this and what diagnostic tests were done? Do you have a written summary of the test results and stage of heart disease? What were the symptoms that caused you to seek treatment? What is the treatment plan and prognosis?

A Cavalier would not have “traditional” DCM which is common to large breed dogs, but could have either hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM - uncommon in dogs; more common in cats) or secondary DCM (caused by toxins, nutritional deficiencies, endocrinopathies, or infectious agents). I’m typing directly from Mark Oyama’s chapter on cardiomyopathy in “Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiology” third edition, chapter 7. It would be important to explore these potential causes. “Secondary cardiomyopathies due to nutritional deficiencies appear in breeds of small and medium size, most notably in the American Cocker Spaniel. In any nontraditional breed of dog, that is, in any dog that is NOT a Doberman, Boxer, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, or Scottish Deerhound, the author recommends plasma (this is a blood test) taurine assay. Interestingly, most taurine-deficient dogs are receiving an adequate meat-based diet, and abnormalities of taurine absorption, metabolism, or excretion are the likely cause of disease. Most dogs with taurine-deficient DCM have plasma taurine less than 25 nmol/ml.“ “The majority of dogs reported to have HCM are male and of young age. Most are asymptomatic, and the diagnosis is made during evaluation of a heart murmur or arrhythmia. Sudden death appears to be more common than congestive heart failure. Many dogs with HCM remain asymptomatic for years.”

Pat

P.S. Rod is an attorney, not a vet.
 
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