Heart disease in Doberman Pinschers, Dilated Cardiomyopathy, (DCM)

Heart disease can be a form of waterboarding because it causes fluid to fill the lungs and creates the slow sensation of drowning. Doberman Pinschers are one of the dog breeds that inherits the tendency to develop a large dilated heart. The large heart cannot constrict properly and often develops an irregular rhythm. As the heart loses strength, fluid backs up in the lungs, Dobys lose interest in exercise and eventually in eating.

The heart disease Dobys inherit is called dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM. DCM is diagnosed in both male and female Dobys, but males tend to become ill at an earlier age.

In a later blog, we’ll look at how DCM in Dobys is diagnosed and treated. We want to diagnose and treat all dogs with heart disease so they do not suffer from the internal waterboarding sensation of drowning as their lungs fill with fluid.