The Dobermann Breed Council/DCM Screening Programme has now been awarded the funding to carry out trials for this devastating and fatal disease. After many months of negotiations, meetings and writing up the protocols, Nuala Summerfield BSc BVM&S MRCVS Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology) Lecturer in Cardiology at Liverpool University has secured funds from Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturers of the drugs widely used in the field of DCM.

Pimobendan Randomized Occult DCM Trial to Evaluate Clinical symptoms & Time to heart failure

As part of a joint United Kingdom/Canadian study, Dobermann dogs and bitches between 5 and 9 years of age (inclusive) are being screened free-of-charge by recognised veterinary cardiologists to determine whether these animals have evidence of preclinical (i.e. early) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The purpose of the screening study is twofold; firstly to learn more about the disease in the breed, and secondly to identify Dobermanns for inclusion in a clinical study to assess the potential benefit of pimobendan in Dobermanns with preclinical DCM.