New DCM Study for Overt DCM

[Rits]

NEW DCM STUDY -- A team of investigators including Dr. Greg Todd of Dunedin, Florida, Dr. Meg Sleeper, a cardiologist from the University of Florida, and Dr. Deng-Shan Shiau, a statistician from the Chi University are conducting a study on DCM in Dobermans. The study is aimed at extending the lives of those dogs in the overt stage that are displaying clinical signs of heart failure by the addition of two Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) to their conventional treatment protocols. These herbal medicines are Zhen Wu Tang, and Compound Dan Shen. This study offers an opportunity to greatly enhance the lives of dogs affected by this disease with no risk or down side for the subject dogs. All patients will continue to receive any and all medications deemed appropriate by their cardiologist or family veterinarian. The study asks a very simple question, “Do patients receiving the CHM’s live longer than 6 months?”

The study will require the enrollment of 40 Dobermans of any age or sex recently diagnosed with overt DCM in a 2 month time period. Subjects will be randomly placed into the Control group or the Study group. Patients in the Study group will receive the two CHM formulas while patients in the Control group will receive placebo capsules of a similar quantity. Owners will be blinded to which group their pet belongs. The cost of the CHM’s and the placebo will be covered by the study which is funded by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation. Patients enrolled in the study will be required to receive echocardiograms and Holter monitor exams every 3 months for the course of the study. The owners will be asked to fill out a Quality of Life questionnaire every 3 months and will be monitored for 12 months.

Enrollment in the study is tentatively scheduled to begin March 22, 2021.

Owners and veterinarians interested in participating, please reach out to: [email protected]

 

[Two Dobes]

I am thrilled to see more proactive research on DCM. I have lost 2 to this disease, and am discouraged that not much appears to be happening since the two genes were discovered. I know there are many more genes that cause this disease, and clearly there are genes that keep the DCM gene from expressing itself, when you see positive dogs living long lives. Where is that research? I also have been viewing the Dobequest page on DPCA's website, and studying who has tested their dogs for the genes, and see that people are still breeding dogs with positive homozygous results. My understanding was that those dogs should not be bred. That you may "have" to breed heterozygous to a clear, but not to breed homozygous dogs. Is it because there are no clear dogs in this breed? I am also aware there are no guarantees with any of this, regardless of testing your dogs...but I just want to see some progress in this area because I adore the breed so much. This discourages me...sorry, just felt the need to rant.