DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) is a heart disease that mainly affects larger breeds of dogs. In the following, we will explain the causes of the disease, its symptoms and how a vet can treat dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.
DCM is the abbreviation for Dilated Cardiomyopathy. In affected dogs, there is an enlargement of the heart chambers. This leads to a reduction in the performance of the heart muscle so that the heart in dogs with DCM can no longer pump enough blood through the body.
This inevitably leads to a drop in blood pressure, which the organism tries to counteract by constricting the vessels. However, this in turn means that the heart has to exert more force when pumping, which further exacerbates the problem.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is particularly common in large breeds, whereas small breeds are merely rarely affected. If a dog falls ill with DCM, this can have various causes.
Among the triggers are inflammations of the heart muscle and a permanent insufficient supply of certain nutrients, such as taurine. In addition, genetic factors also play a role in the development of DCM in dogs.
It usually takes quite a while for DCM to become noticeable in dogs through recognisable symptoms. In the early stages, dilated cardiomyopathy is not obvious to the dog's owner or during veterinary examinations.
This only changes during the subsequent occult stage of the disease. Even in this phase, the dog still makes a completely healthy impression externally. However, the changes in the heart can now be seen at least during an ultrasound examination.
Visible symptoms, on the other hand, usually only appear in the late stages of dilated cardiomyopathy, when the performance of the heart has already decreased considerably and the dog's body is no longer able to compensate for this. Blood then backs up from the dog's heart back into its circulation. This, in turn, leads to water retention, which can form in the chest or abdominal cavity as well as the lungs of the four-legged friend.
If your dog has DCM and is suffering from acute respiratory distress, it is essential to go to the vet immediately. This is also true if the dog has a cough and it worsens significantly in a very short time. Both are usually signs of water retention in the chest cavity or lungs in dogs with DCM.
The vet will therefore first take an X-ray of the animal to check whether water retention is present. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the dog will then be admitted as an inpatient or outpatient. In the course of the inpatient treatment, drainage therapy is carried out and, if necessary, additional oxygen is administered to the dog.
If your dog faints, again and again, this is of course also a clear signal that you need to take your four-legged friend to the vet. In most cases, fainting in dogs with DCM is caused by cardiac arrhythmia. Without treatment, these can even be fatal for the animal.
Treatment for dogs with DCM can vary depending on the results of the tests. Medications that may be used include ACE inhibitors to support circulation and pimobendan to strengthen the heart muscle. Beta-blockers can also be used to treat arrhythmias and furosemide to drain fluid in the lungs.
Unfortunately, DCM is not curable. Affected dogs must be treated permanently. As long as dilated cardiomyopathy is not noticed too late and the right treatment measures are taken, it is usually possible to maintain the four-legged friend's quality of life so that he can still look forward to several years without too many restrictions. Regardless of this, regular check-ups at the vet are, of course, indispensable for dogs with DCM.
If your dog has been diagnosed with DCM, you must pay attention to a few things in everyday life. Your main focus should of course be on ensuring that your four-legged friend has a good quality of life despite his heart disease and can enjoy his everyday life as much as possible.
At the same time, however, it is also important to avoid excessive physical exertion. For example, letting a dog with DCM run for kilometres on a leash next to a bicycle is not a good idea. Likewise, it is not advisable to motivate your four-legged friend to perform at his best and to challenge him, for example, in regular dog sports sessions. Instead, take it easy, and limit yourself to walking together and playing relaxed games that do not completely overtax your dog's weakened heart.
Apart from that, you should also pay attention to the diet of the four-legged friend and refrain, among other things, from giving the animal things like sausage and other foods rich in salt. Such foods are, of course, generally not recommended for a healthy dog diet. However, this is even more true for dogs with heart problems such as DCM, as salty food is particularly harmful to them.
A high-quality dog food, such as you will find in the Bellfor range, provides your four-legged friend with all the nutrients he needs. To reward your dog suffering from DCM in-between meals, we recommend using our healthy dog treats instead of unhealthy treats like sausage.
As you can see, DCM in dogs is a serious disease that you should not ignore. Since dilated cardiomyopathy usually becomes noticeable with visible symptoms at a late stage, it makes sense to have a preventive examination once a year for dog breeds that are affected more frequently than average, such as the Doberman.
In this way, any dilated cardiomyopathy that may develop in your dog can be detected and treated at an early stage. This makes it much more likely that the therapy measures taken will have an effect and that an all-too-great restriction of your four-legged friend's quality of life can be avoided.
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