What treatment is available for dogs with Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
There is no cure for Dilated Cardiomyopathy, but drugs may help for a while once the signs of congestive heart failure develop. Diuretics such as frusemide are drugs that encourage the kidneys to excrete fluid, reducing fluid retention and clearing fluid from the lungs. Other drugs like digoxin will help the heart to contract more strongly, and slow the heart rate down when it is too fast. New drugs like enalapril have been shown to increase survival times in Dobermanns with DCM. Drugs are also available which can help prevent abnormal heart rhythms. However, most dogs with heart failure will die within six months of diagnosis despite treatment. There have been no surveys of Dobermann cardiomyopathy in the UK, but available sources show the prevalence is undoubtedly high. We do not want the UK to reach the situation in the USA, where it is estimated that 8000 to 10000 Dobermanns may be dying annually. More work is required to work out the pattern of inheritance of Dilated Cardiomyopath
