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I know what you mean about not getting over it, I have lost 3 dogs to Cardio all told, and it still hurts. Yearly Holter Monitoring is best, I use Dr Morris to scan my tapes and she does clinics all over. I am very sorry for your loss of your girl.

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Steve
Dobes are like potato chips, you really can't have just one...

You really need to get a holter monitor test done, it is the only sure way to know. My girl looked perfectly healthy the day she dropped dead.

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Steve
Dobes are like potato chips, you really can't have just one...

What is cardio? Where can I look it up and read about it?

Thanks,
Scootter

We lost our beloved Red at 11 1/2 years old to cardiomyopathy last February. He was diagnosed a year earlier when he was sick with a spinal condition that corrected itself after cortisone injections. The vet could hear it while listening to his hear for several minutes. He was put on digoxin and lisinopril, same as humans, and just dropped over a year later while visiting me here at work :( Our vet stated that many dobes show no signs until it's too late. But he states, and I saw, that it is quick and painless. But it sure broke our hearts for sure.

I'm sorry for everyone's loss, as I am sure you are for mine. One day Twist was swimming in the lake and chasing small animals, two days later, she had congestive heart failure and you know the rest. In my grief, I launched a long internet study to gather as much info as possible. Armed with new info, I hope I am better prepared for my next Dobe (it will be my third. How awesome are these dogs????!!!).

I agree with all the other posters, find a vet who can administer a Holter. It's a simple 24 hour test, like an ECG that monitors heart output/rhythm. If your dog is throwing bad rhythms (what is that called? PVC's??), your vet should catch it with this test. The 1 minute listen to the heart, or 5 minute echocardiogram isn't enough to catch Dilated Cardio Myopathy.

Also,I saw a reference to Digoxin, but as I learned in 2006, this drug is not as effective and can be poisonous on some levels. Pimobenden (sp?) is the new drug of choice to strengthen heart output. And be prepared to slow down your dog. If you catch it really early (called the Occult Stage), DCM is somewhat managable. No stresses on the heart (we would not have been at the lake had I known!), manage heart output and/or congestive fluid build up with medicine, I believe we can increase the quality of our pup's lives, if not extend them just a little bit. Knowledge is power.

Lastly, let me add that we should not be afraid to ask the breeders. I have offended a few breeders in my search for a new dog about DCM in their lines. I took that offense as a "yes" the line has it, so I was done with that breeder, as they were with me. I found a breeder offering a LIFETIME health guarantee on their [very expensive] puppies, but ultimately this is the type of responsible breeder we should deal with. Breeders, you are the stop gap on this congenital disease. Stop breeding the lines! It will be a decade of your bottom line sucking, I know, but I do believe the future of the breed is in your hands. It's too bad even if we could reach the breeders who show and advertise puppies and breed regularly to do this, the backyard breeder will not heed the warning.

It's sad.

Thanks for reading.

I am wondering... Is this why so few breeders offer a 2+ year health guarantee?

Like so many others I lost my Dobe to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). My beloved Casey was just under 10 when I lost her 3 weeks ago. She was first diagnosed a year and a half ago during her a regular checkup. This was to my surprise as she did not exhibit and signs of illness. My regular vet told me she only had only about 2 weeks to live. At that point I brought her to a Cardio specialist, Dr. Carl Sammarco at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Red Bank, NJ. Dr. Sammarco provided outstanding care to Casey and was able to give me almost another year and a half with her. Previous to her diagnosis I didn’t know anything about the disease but later found out it is quite common in Dobes. Another problem Dr. Sammarco told me about the disease was that Dobies hide the symptoms well an often are not diagnosed until the disease has significantly progressed. Early detection is key so get your dog screened regularly. Although the following clinical signs may not be evident until the disease has progressed I have listed them below. I have also listed the medications that I believed helped Casey however, once diagnosed the end result is inevitable. All we can do is try and make each day count as if it were our last and enjoy your time together, I did. With god’s grace Casey was able to live a relatively normal life until the end and eventually passed away from a heart attack while at home while sleeping on her own bed. I dreaded the thought of having to put her down and am grateful to god for sparing me that grief. I am posting this information in an effort to help others at least have a chance at some extra time with their devoted companions.

Clinical Signs:
Initiation of or increase in cough
Excessive breathing rate
Restlessness, unable to get comfortable
Decreased appetite
Lethargy / weakness
Collapse or fainting

Medication Casey was on:
Pimobendan
Furosemide (Lasix)
Enalapril
Sotolol
Spironolactone
Turine (Supplement)
Sam-E (Supplement)


My thought and prayers are with all who must face what I had to.
Gloria – Edison, NJ