Echography for DCM

[weimaranermama]

Today is an very exiting day for Foster and me. We have to go to Amsterdam for an ultrasonic inspection of Fosters hart.
Here in Holland we have a problem with some weimaraners who have the hart disease DCM, Dillatated Cardio Myophaty. It's an illnes what is hereditary and it's in the genes of the dogs.
We are not allowed to breed without an echo examination, so every body has to exame their breed dogs.
Please hold your fingers crossed for us.
Now I have to go, we have to be in Amsterdam on 13.00 hours.

[weimaranermama]

JOEPIEEEE, HOERAAAAAA!!!!!! I am so happy. I am back from Amsterdam and Fosters ultrasonic test was okee!!!!! Foster is free from DCM. Now he is save to breed with and there are no risks for his children in Sweden.
I think I take a glas of wine tonight to celebrate it, because this is more important, than what for champion title is. His genes are good. Joehoeoeoeoe!!!!

[efica]

Great!!! I agree with you - first health then beauty

[Sylvia]

Great Ina he is free, but the test have to be done yearly, he can be free now, but next year he can have DCM.
But first of all Health is important.
And 2d.... Huntingability.

[greyghost]

Good news Ina no wonder you are happy. Better get sowing the seeds then if the test only lasts for a year, ha ha.

[weimaranermama]

Indeed you have to do the test every year and best is to start when your dog is 5 years old. Foster is nearly 5 years old now and he has to do a mating here in Holland. The bitch is also free of DCM and also her mother of 9 years old. This is the way we hope to solve the problem and try to breed the DCM away. When you echo the dogs on the age of 2 years old, often you see nothing and that's a problem. Those young dogs can develop DCM when they are getting older.

If they have DCM, you can see it most of the times on the age of 5, some times later. Often the dogs pass away on the age of 7 to 8 years old. It is sure the dogs pass away much to early, some times at the age of 9 years or older.

And knowing that, I am verry happy now. It gives a little bit security for the future.

Gr. Ina

[Alkemist]

Congratulations Ina, great news that Foster has passed the test. Fingers crossed this test is the answer to this problem.

Nina

[wendytyler]

Congrats Ina !
Good news for Foster, that he is free from DCM!
Good luck with the mating, hopefully there will be healthy little Fosters born!

Greetings,
Wendy

[Cheryl]

Ina, Congratulations and I found this on "what to feed your dog" - Dogs lacking taurine are susceptible to a form of heart enlargement called dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM.

Maybe this is why? Just an idea...Cheryl (Hugs to Boris' grandsire)

[Kobie]

Bravo Ina and Foster ! Hope it's every year the same result !!!!

[jai]

I am so happy to hear that.. Hope you have such a great result each year!
jai and falko

[tasha]

thats brilliant Ina I want to do this test with bonnie she's four and a half now so I think that would be ok to do it. How quickly were you able to arrange the test??? Who was it arranged with and cost etc??? Was the test difficult? How was it done??

I'm going to Amsterdam to see Anna with Graf but I think its a bit short notice to book it now.

[weimaranermama]

I called for an appointment on Monday last week and Foster and I could come on Friday last week.
So I could arrange the test in 5 days. Foster did not need a sedation and had to stand on the vets table. The vet had a ultrasone machine and make the movie with a little thing, what looks like a electric shaver. The vet wrote everything down on an official paper.
I could see everything too and it was very interesting, but I could not see what was good or bad.
When you are planning a litter, than it is a good thing to make this test, because DCM is hereditary. You get the result at the same time when you are at the vets practice.
I think your Bonnie has the right age to do it for the first time. You have to repeat it every year.
DCM was already well known by the Englisch Weimaraner Club in 1996-1997. They wrote an article in the club paper in those years.
What they did with the information I don't know.

[tasha]

I'll take a look there have been several articles written on it in the club magasines but it has not been something that I have heard much about. whether I bred from Bonnie or not I would still like to have the test done as I am very keen on testing for things especially when they are not invasive. The coat test that newly came out has been adopted here and only a few of us made the effort to send off to get it done so maybe this is something else that could also be adopted if a few of us push for it???

Would you pm me further details please?

[weimaranermama]

I think it is very important to make the DCM test, before you start breeding. I have heard there where some dogs in England, who died on the illness of the hearth, not older than 7-8 years old.
And it is hereditary. The result you get at once at the same time you are at the vets place.

Gr. Ina

[tasha]

I have spoken to my vet today during my consult to update bonnies pet passport about having an echocardiogram & an ultrasound test done and he was very interested to hear that the dutch club are proactive and testing for DCM.

He is going to contacting a specialist in the UK for me and toldme that there is a possibility that she might be able to have Weimaraner added to the list of breeds that are tested if there is a recognised problem developing (they already test breeds like dobermann, irish wolfhound and a host of other breeds) and enough people interested.

They have a meeting in November where this could be brought into the agenda and quickly implemented.

We would not need the support of the club although that would be preferable but funding could be sourced either via the drugs companies or with the assistance of someone who is completing a study and would like to take on the weimaraner as their designated breed for their project to reduce or remove the costs.

In the process I also learnt that my vet is an international judge (see you learn something new every day) usually judges toy breeds and knows my breeder well.

There is a nice description of Andreas Schemel on here dogjudges.info/bios/judgesbioss.htm interesting he's interested in both cardiology & hips.... ;D ;D Lovely man.