I first posted this article about three years ago ( march 2004? )  Paragraphs in red are the changes I have added to the article since the original publishing.  In April 2007 I decided to send out a refresher to my Yahoo group and  email list regarding some health problems after a friend of mine lost a dog to bloat and did not know the signs.  This was an owner that has had danes FOR YEARS, he is a dane advocate in every sense of the world and I thought he knew every thing. . .  I was truly taken by surprise.

  Shortly afterwards ( with in DAYS) another friend found out the dog they owns father has been diagnosed with DCM. This sparked more discussion on inheritance and when to be worried and when to be cautious.   The first article I sent out was on bloat.  The 2nd was on DCM.  Seemed logical to me. 

First I sent it out to the Yahoo group and then to my email list. A week later I sent the DCM article in a private emailings to my  yahoo Group and to ONE other breeder ( who is not part of this group) I thought she might benefit from the information.   Instead of taking the email as intended ( as education on the disease)  It was taken as some sort of smear campaign against Taz's breeders and any ancestor back behind him that could ( and should) be considered a DCM carrier and/or affected Great Dane. 

Though the following links have been available on the same page as this one, I am now adding them here so you can look at other sources straight from this page. 

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2496

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00034.htm

http://www.gdca.org/cardio.htm

http://ginnie.com/DaDane298.shtml

Inheritance of DCM in Great Danes

Every breeder is afraid of offending another by actually displaying pedigree information on DCM dogs.  Most breeders will NEVER let you know that they have had a dog with any disease.  There is a stigma associated with producing any dog that has ANY inherited disease.  It is not the inheritance that should be the big worry; it is what the breeder does with the information.  Producing a dog that has a hidden recessive expressed after many generations of seemingly cleared dogs is not something that you can predict.  If you are screening your dogs and following your puppies through out their life: you are doing all you can.   

I have been unfortunate enough to lose 2 dogs to this silent killer.  Both were confirmed cases through a Texas A&M veterinary pathologist.  At the end of this article you will find both pedigrees with the carrier, possible carrier and possible affected ancestors marked. 
PLEASE NOTE:  I am working back words through the pedigrees of 2 dogs positively diagnosed of dying of DCM, marking known ancestors with out knowing how they actually died.  If the assumption of inheritance is correct then the marked dogs were either carriers or affected animals.  DUE TO BEING THREATENED WITH LAW SUIT I HAVE REMOVED THE MARKING OF THE PEDIGREE. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE THE LIKELY MODE OF INHERITANCE, IT IS WHAT IT IS.   Information leads to the power of change.


What is DCM?
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a primary heart muscle disease. It is usually characterized by enlargement of the left ventricle. The muscle wall of the ventricle becomes thin and stretches, resulting in an enlargement and weakening of the chamber.  A weakened heart muscle can no longer pump blood effectively. This causes a buildup of fluid in the lungs and elsewhere. It eventually leads to heart failure and death.

What Are the Signs of DCM?
Loss of appetite, pale gums, increased heart rate, coughing, difficulty breathing, periods of weakness, and fainting are signs commonly seen.  Since blood is “backed up” into the lungs, respiratory signs (Congestive heart failure-CHF) are due to pulmonary edema.  ( We mistaken Taz's first signs as a run of mild kennel cough)

When blood returning to the right side of the heart from the body  backs up it can lead to fluid accumulation in the abdomen (fluid/ ascots) or in the chest cavity (pleural effusion).  Weakness or collapse may be caused by abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia's) and sometimes a decreased  flow to the body (depressed cardiac output).
Sudden death or fainting can occur well before any signs of CHF. ( as with Max)
With Taz he also had a strange run of pitting adema in his rear feet. . .when this happened we ran an EKG and x-rayed his heart and found nothing.

WHAT WE KNOW
It is inherited
No genetic tests exist to identify affected individuals at this time, but researchers are trying to identify the genes associated with DCM.
It is passed down through the Dam (mother) this makes it x-link recessive.
This means dams pass on a defective X chromosome to statistically 50% of their offspring.
Though there are rare cases of females developing DCM they would have to inherit the gene from BOTH parents (meaning they would have to have a mother that is a carrier and a father that is affected)  WE WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN 17 YEARS OF WORKING IN A VETERINARY HOSPITALS (INCLUDING AN INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST) I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FEMALE WITH DCM ( any breed). I HAVE SEEN MANY MALES WITH IT THOUGH. ( all breeds)

OK IN ENGLISH:  Mother passes the recessive gene down to 50% of her puppies . . .males that have the gene are affected, females are carriers.  It is necessary to treat ALL decedents and ancestors as carriers.
Females have 2 X chromosomes.
Males have one X and one Y

Affected males will produce 100% carrier daughters, as they give this defective X chromosome to all their female offspring. Then these carrier daughters produce again affected sons. However, when a disease is X-linked, the sons of an affected sire are NOT at risk, as they do not inherit an X chromosome from their sires.

DCM is an adult on set disease.  The problem with screening for it is just that.  If the male is affected at 18 months it is likely he has never been used in a breeding program and the problem is easily avoided.   If he is affected at 8 years of age it is a completely different scenario.  AGAIN it is what we do with this information that defines us as a breeder.  I had frozen on Taz, I chose to dump it. 
When making breeding decisions I have looked at all of the possible carrier descendants in the last 5 generations.  Many of these dogs are in all pedigrees.  Ultimately it is a crap shoot.  By following out my puppies I hope to make educated decisions in future generations.

Reg Name: Taz Relampago
Reg #: WP995028/03 Breed/Variety: Great Dane
Birth Date: 06/15/2000 Sex: Male
Colors/Markings: Harlequin
Breeder(s): Edna A Sypowicz

Taz Relampago
DCM affected
taz head
WP995028/03
Harlequin
TAZ OFA INFO 		Dreamake's Beau Geste
taz sire
WP810340/08 01-01
Harlequin 		Rondo's Falstafffalstaf
WP385221/02 08-93
Harlequin
OFA25F AKC DNA #V38790 		CH Riverwood's Rondo
rhondo
WG383756 04-91
Harlequin
OFA29E
EXTENDED PEDIGREE 		Ruths Rambo N'Coruth
WF777529 07-87
Black & White 		CH BMW Bull Leabull lea
WF331858 08-84
Harlequin
EXTENDED PEDIGREE
Gmj's The New Yorker And Co
newyorker
WE503824 12-83
Harlequin
Riverwood's Ringtop Nevey
ringtop
WF604458 06-86
Harlequin
EXTENDED PEDIGREE 		CH BMW Bull Leabull lea
WF331858 08-84
Harlequin
EXTENDED PEDIGREE
SIRE OF:
Ch. Michaeldane Sugar Free
Ringtop's Edelweiss Von DMS
eld
WE872999 08-84
Harlequin
Dan-Mar's Jazmin Potpourri
Jaz
WG408103 05-92
Harlequin
OFA29G 		CH Chauffeured's Dr LevyJR
DR Levy
WF857148 06-87
Harlequin
OFA36G 		BMW Winston Churchill
WF667042 08-86
Harlequin
Chauffeured's Coalette
WF520348 08-86
Black
EXTENDED PEDIGREE
Dan-Mar's Jazmin V RiverwoodJaz
WG099930 04-90
Harlequin
OFA28G 		Ruths Rambo N'Coruth
WF777529 07-87
Mantle
Riverwood's Snowdrift
WF863762 07-87
White
BISS CH Scarbrough's Lady Carolinelady caroline
WP375467/01 04-95
Harlequin
( died age 12)

Quateback Libertequarterback
WG494414 07-91 (West Germany)
Harlequin
EXTENDED PED
 Atlas A D Emiratatlas
DDC VDH/DDC 88172 (West Germany)
Harlequin 		Nobile A D Eldoradonobile
DDC VDH/DDC 82962
Black with white marking
Lana A D Eldoradolana
DDC VDH/DDC 79844
Harlequin
Noblesse Libertenoblis
DDC VDH/DDC 91578
Harlequin
 		Gallo V Harlekin
gallo
DDC VDH/DDC 85542
Harlequin
Dodine D'Oro Libertedodine
DDC VDH/DDC 82399
Harlequin
Scarbrough's Sallie Sioux
WF842368 05-88
Harlequin 		Scarbrough's Anaconda
anaconda
WE912788 01-82
Harlequin 		Konak's Huckleberry Finn
huck fin
WD202223 09-79
Harlequin
Konak's Dark Side Of Moon
kona
WE005624 05-80
Harlequin
X-Cell's Miss Hellion Von Aus
WF786722 08-86
Harlequin 		Big Ben V Meistersinger
WE530834 10-84
Harlequin
EXTENDED PEDIGREE
X-Cel Somthin Special Arndal
WF368244 10-84
Harlequin
Bradbury Sophia Dreamaker
taz dam
WP619950/03 05-99
Mantle
 		BISS CH Rockbridge's Rodney
  WP369735/02 12-93
Harlequin
Extended pedigree
 		CH Stiegerhill Trail BlazerTrail
WF998059 04-90
Harlequin
OFA48G
EXTENDED PEDIGREE 		CH Chauffeured's Dr Levy JRDR Levy
WF857148 06-87
Harlequin
OFA36G 		BMW Winston Churchill
WF667042 08-86
Harlequin
Chauffeured's Coalette
WF520348 08-86
Black
EXTENDED PEDIGREE
La Bella Benicia J R
WF614278 01-87
Harlequin 		CH Chauffeured's Deegan E
WE188295 03-81
Harlequin
OFA28
Jr's Crystal Blue Bell
WF452567 12-84
Harlequin
Rockbridge's Rosalyn
WG368970 02-92
Harlequin 		BMW Avalanche
WG343146 03-90
Harlequin 		CH BMW Graffiti CD
grafiti
WF753171 12-86
Harlequin

SIRE OF:
AM.CH. BMW MIGNONNE, CD, TT, CGC, TDI
BMW Serenity CD
serenitly
WF721509 04-87
Harlequin
Sire: CH BMW Ruffian

Dam: CH BMW Prima Donna
Rockbridge's Anisette
WF803551 03-90
Mantle 		CH BMW Brodybrody
WE652245 11-81
Harlequin
CH Rockbridge's BMW Rachel
WF447425 05-86
Harlequin
Heart's Matters Of The Heart
WP475227/03 07-95
Harlequin 		CH Heart's BMW Forever Yours
WP310954/06 07-93
Harlequin 		CH BMW Graffiti CD
graffiti
WF753171 12-86
Harlequin

SIRE OF:
Ch. BMW Mignonne CD
 		CH BMW Brodybrody
WE652245 11-81
Harlequin
CH BMW Impeccable
WF332671 09-85
Harlequin
Liqueur's Take Me To Heart
WF941188 02-91
Harlequin
EXTENDED PEDIGREE 		Liqueur Apollo Creed
WF689383 04-87
Mantle
Liqueur's Antiquity
WF572361 04-87
Harlequin
BMW Heart' Sophisticated Risk
WG423765 07-93
Mantle
OFA52E 		BMW Robin Goodfellow
g 
WF979503 10-88
Harlequin
Extended ped
 CH BMW Talismantalisman
WF753172 06-87
Harlequin

SIRE OF:

AM ch. BMW Oberon

BMW Pandemonium
WF908279 06-87
Harlequin
CH BMW I'll Take Manhattan
MAnhat
WG090096 04-90
Harlequin
Died at 3 years old.
CH BMW Graffiti CD
grafiti
WF753171 12-86
Harlequin
CH BMW Jeanne D'Arc CD
WF569460 03-88
Harlequin

MAX:

 
CINNAMON's DISCOING MAX
DCM affectedmax side

CH Calypso's Disco By the Bay
calipso  
CH Demand's G Tome V Jorviang time

CH Nightwind's Time Travler 
CH Von Shrado's I'm a Knock outknock out
CH Nightwind's Sheer Elegance 
 
CH Terregan's Trefaedra Jorivan 		CH Dundane Whistle's at Sharacon
dune dane
 
CH Terregan's Juss One Gal
juss
CH Calypso's I'm Born to Boogie
 		 
CH Vztop Ragtime Boy V FLMG Oakragz
Ch Lamb Creak Hunter Of Vztop
hunter
CH Lams Creak Holy Terra
terra
CH HONEY LANES I'm BREATHLESS Danefield's Were Eagles Fly
CH HONEY lane Promises Promises 

 
 
Melbars Ragtime Cinnamon Spice
Fawn w/ mask
 		Mel-Bar's Bratty Brutus
Fawn W/mask
 		 
Mel-Bar's Baron Von Bruno
Fawn
 		Sandy Boy Of Tuare
Lone Stare Lady II
Fraulien Hiedi Of Mel-Bar
Fawn
 		CH Calico Rocks Frazier Belmont
Belmonts Forever Amber
CH Flam'gOak Sugarnspice V Mel-bar
Fawn W/mask
 		Ch Vztop Ragtime Boy V FLMG Oakragz
Ch Lamb Creak Hunter Of Vztop
hunter
CH Lams Creak Holy Terra
terra
 
Lucky Ladd Jaz of Flam'g Oak
 		CH Lambs Creak Hunter of Vztophunter
CH Lambs Creak Glory For Kimco

 
Information on DCM collected from VP Client Community Contributors and the article: Dilated Cardiomyopathy; Dr Robert Prosek