Has your dog been diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy or is your dog at risk? What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy and how to know if your dog is at risk #
DCM is a scary heart disease that affects the heart muscle, that becomes enlarged and weakened, making it harder for it to pump blood effectively. It is likely due to genetics, with some larger dog breeds highly predisposed, such as Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, German Shepherd and Cocker Spaniel. It is estimated for instance that 50% to 60% of all Doberman Pinscher will develop DCM in the course of their lives.
DCM can also appear due to grain-free diet according to a recent FDA study. In some of these cases the disease might be partially reversible given the proper diet change, taurine supplements, and treatment.
The 3 phases of DCM #
DCM usually evolves in 3 phases, and is a so-called “silent killer” as it can be hard to diagnose in time.
- Apparently healthy phase: no symptoms of heart disease and normal clinical tests (echocardiography, ECG, Holter, etc)
- Occult DCM, where the owner has no clue that the dog is ill unless they submit them to a routine check (cardiac ultrasound, routine ECG, Holter monitoring).
- Overt DCM, accompanied by congestive heart failure, where the dog is in respiratory distress.
DCM has severe consequences #
The sooner the illness is diagnosed, the better the prognosis, with some dogs able to live months or years in a stable and happy condition under the right treatment.
With time, the illness will unfavorably evolve, with risks of Congestive Heart Failure, where the heart can no longer pump blood effectively enough to provide adequate oxygen to the tissues. Liquid may fill the dog’s lungs which leads to difficulty breathing, coughing, exercise intolerance, fainting… In some cases DCM also leads to sudden cardiac death due to arrhythmias linked to the heart muscle disfunction.
Is your dog diagnosed of / at risk of DCM? Smart Dog Collar is the right tool to help you watch over and support your dog, so you don’t feel helpless. #
- Get to know your dog’s baseline vitals while they are still healthy, and monitor that they are stable through time.
- Be alerted by changes such as a consistent increase in heart and respiratory rates, so you can react in time when your dog moves to a worse stage of DCM.
- Share data with your vet to help them take the best data-driven decision for your specific dog, as no two dogs will react the same to treatments such as beta-blockers, diuretics, pimobendan, etc…
- In dogs that develop atrial fibrillation, check that their heart rate reverts to the target level, and share this with your vet to adjust dosing.
- Actively participate in research as we are conducting several projects for better detection and monitoring of this illness and related issues such as arrhythmias, premature ventricular complexes, atrial fibrillation, etc…
Developed with and recommended by top vets! #
We’re on a mission to help you help your dog live a healthier, happier and longer life. Our goal is better detection, monitoring and knowledge of canine heart conditions, so that dog parents get a chance to extend the length of quality life for their dog with early treatment. Together with a team of rockstar board-certified veterinarian cardiology experts in the US and in Europe, we are launching several research projects to uncover new digital biomarkers of heart health, stress and pain.
Help us spread the word to dog parents and vets around you!