Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart tissue changes in Doberman pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy
By Sykes, K T et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2021·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Histologic comparison in two Doberman pinschers with a dilated cardiomyopathy phenotype.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old male Doberman was diagnosed with heart problems after showing signs of weakness and difficulty breathing. The vet performed tests, including X-rays and an ultrasound of the heart, which revealed that the dog had dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a common heart disease in Dobermans. Another similar Doberman had heart issues caused by Chagas disease, an infection from a parasite. This case highlights the importance of thorough testing to determine the exact cause of heart problems in dogs, as treatment may vary depending on the underlying issue.
People also search for: Doberman heart disease symptoms · dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs · Chagas disease in dogs treatment
Abstract
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common acquired cardiac disease in large breed dogs with a high prevalence in Doberman pinschers. It is characterized histologically by attenuated wavy fibers and fatty infiltration with degeneration. The phenotypic appearance of DCM includes ventricular dilation with systolic dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias. These changes can be caused by other etiologies, including infectious, toxic, metabolic, and nutritional deficiencies. Chagas disease is the result of an infection with the protozoal parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted by an insect vector. Histopathology of the myocardium is characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and pseudocysts containing T. cruzi amastigotes. Differentiating idiopathic DCM from infectious myocarditis can be challenging when the clinical presentation and diagnostic test results are similar in affected dogs. We present thoracic radiographs, echocardiography, and post-mortem histopathology images obtained from two Doberman pinschers with similar signalment, clinical presentation, and electrocardiographic and echocardiographic appearance but with different appearing radiographs and different etiologies for their heart disease, one with idiopathic DCM and one with myocarditis attributed to Chagas disease, to highlight the value of considering alternative etiologies for DCM to guide additional clinical evaluation and owner counseling.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33221699/