One of our longest running projects has been the study of dilated cardiomyopathy in the Doberman Pinscher. Dilated cardiomyopathy is form of heart disease that is generally clinically silent until the dog is usually at least 5 years of age. Once clinical signs develop, the disease progesses very rapidly and dogs die of congestive heart failure or sudden death usually within a few months of diagnosis. We know the disease is inherited and many people believe that the United States form of this disease can be traced back to the importation of 7 sibling Doberman Pinschers after World War II. Three of the seven dogs died of heart disease. This family of dogs was extremely popular and by 1950, 50% of the American Kennel Club registered Doberman Pinschers were direct descendents of those 7 dogs. Therefore, if they did have an inherited form of heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) a very large number of Doberman Pinschers in this country are at risk of having the gene for this disease.

Human beings also suffer from an inherited form of this disease and it has been associated with a mutation in one of 20 different genes. Over the years we have evaluated many of these genes in the Doberman Pinscher looking for a mutation that might cause the disease, but so far we have been unsuccessful. However, we know that this a very important disease to all of the Doberman Pinscher fans out there, so we have not given up! Everyday we work on this project!

This is picture of Kobi, a white Doberman Pinscher who I worked with for awhile. Although Kobi does have a mutation that resulted in his "white" hair coat, there is no evidence that white Dobermans have any increased incidence of disease!!