My Labrador has DCM and heavy breathing. What's the prognosis?

Question

My 4yr 4month old male Labrador has dilated cardiomyopathy.. We came to know about it recently ...he had long standing heavy breathing ... Whatbks the prognosis ..his both atria are enlarged on usg local. Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 4 years and 4 months old | 68.34 lbs

Jeffrey Milner · Accepted Answer

Sorry to hear about Dollar's recent diagnosis. In general, DCM is a terminal disease. The goal of treatment is to slow it's progression and help with the symptoms. Some breeds are much more prone to a quick and devastating disease process while others progress more slowly. The Dobermann Pinscher is the poster child for this condition, and as a result, often succumbs to it rather quickly. Labradors are not known to carry this condition very often and to my knowledge, have no genetic predisposition for it. However speaking with a board certified cardiologist about this might shed some more light on the issue in terms of recent studies, particularly breed specific ones. If Dollar is not already on medications, I would encourage you to speak with you vet or consult with the cardiologist about getting him started on several right away. Typically, there are at least two or three medications to consider in order to stem the tide. Prognosis will be determined based on serialized ultrasounds of the heart to determine the disease's progression. I have seen some animals live weeks, while others can live well over a year. Unfortunately, one of the symptoms of this condition is sudden death, so managing the disease as best as possible is the best way to avoid this. Hope this helps, and once again, I'm sorry about the diagnosis.

My Labrador has DCM and heavy breathing. What's the prognosis?

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