Doberman Pincher
Breed Description- see AKC for detailed standard
Photo - Altacrests Dino
Breed problems can be both inherited or diseases and disorders seen frequently in a breed and mode of inheritance unknown. Both are listed.
Breed problemsCardiomyopathy
Renal cortical hypoplasia
Polyostotic fiberous dysplasia
Von Willebrand's disease
Missing teeth
Craniomandibular osteopathy
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy
Color mutant alopecia (blue dogs)
Narcolepsy: a neurological disorder characterized by falling asleep suddenly (collapse) which can occur during periods of activity and last for varying lengths of time.Immune complex disorders
BloatBoth cardiomyopathy and chronic active hepatitis in dobermans are thought to have strong
family ties. M.R.Strokes (cerebrovascular accidents) are rare in dogs. There is some chance
that dobermans are more prone to this problem than other breeds, though.
Dobermans sometimes develop similar atherosclerosis problems to those that
affect human coronary arteries, making the possibility of stroke higher, I
would guess. Other dog breeds have this condition but much more rarely. M.R.spondylolisthesis (also called wobbler syndrome and cervical
spondylomyelopathy). This is a disorder that occurs most frequently in
doberman pinschers. It is the result of malformation of
the vertebrae. M.R.In dobermans, sulfa drugs can cause unusual reactions sometimes
Another disease is bullous pemphigus, which affects primarily
collies, shelties and dobermans. This disorder affects a different layer of
the skin but otherwise looks a lot like pemphigus vulgaris. Treatment is
the same. M.ROne of the breeds most likely to have bloat are Doberman pinschers.
Congenital cervical vertebral malformations may cause spinal cord contusion, compression,or stretching.
Cardiomyopathy
Heart disease, especially in dobermans who have cardiomyopathy, can cause
weight loss, sometimes really rapid weight loss. This condition is referred
to as cardiac cachexia. It is important to get patients with cachexia to
eat and most of the time it is recommended to feed dogs anything they
really want to eat rather than trying to work for a specific diet. Cardiac
cachexia is sometimes lessened by the use of marine fish oils (essential
fatty acid supplementation). Supplements higher in Omega-3 fatty acids
such as 3V (tm) are most beneficial. Coenzyme Q10 is recommended by some
cardiologists for patients with cardiac cachexia, using dosages between 30
and 90 mg every twelve hours. If there is any concern that dilated
cardiomyopathy is present (dobermans are prone to this) supplementing with
l-carnitine might be worthwhile, too. It is expensive, but based on all you
have done so far, it doesn't look like that would be a big problem. It is
unlikely to cause harm even if it doesn't help. A lot of this information
came from "Kirk's Current Therapy XIII", which your vet might have. It has
a good chapter on nutrition and heart disease.
I would strongly recommend placing your primary emphasis in treatment on
the weight loss and heart disease and putting up with the diarrhea from
colitis. We had several patients with chronic colitis whose owners can not
handle treatment for. They have diarrhea a lot but are not extremely thin
and are not over bothered by the condition. So I would think of this as the
secondary problem.
In most dog breeds, sulfasalazine (Azulfidine Rx) is the first line of
defense against inflammatory colon conditions. In dobermans, sulfa drugs
can cause unusual reactions sometimes, so I can see why no one has tried
this approach. It may be worth considering, though. If joint pain, joint
swelling, dry eyes or other problems occurred this medication would have to
be discontinued, though. Prednisone is helpful and if it isn't causing a
worsening of the heart problems it is a reasonable choice. Usually this
will help with appetite, but isn't in Topper's case, I guess. Tylan (Rx)
can be used continuously, if necessary. Metronidazole helps with
inflammatory bowel conditions, sometimes, too.Mike Richards DVM
Craniomandibular osteopathy
Craniomandibular osteopathy is a disorder that occurs in young dogs, primarily terriers. The most commonly affected breeds are West Highland White Terriers, Scottish Terriers and Cairn Terriers. It has been recognized in other terrier breeds and in Boxers, Labs, Great Danes and Dobermans. It usually shows up before 10 months of age.
Excessive bone development occurs along the mandible (jaw) and the temporal region. Affected dogs have difficulty chewing and swallowing and may drool as a result of this. There can be great pain on opening the mouth but some dogs do not seem as pained as others. There is often fever accompanying this disorder. Weight loss can occur from the difficulty in eating. Atrophy (shrinking) of the muscles over the head and jaw areas can occur. X-rays show excessive bone production, sometimes very severe.
Mike Richards, DVM
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy causes lameness and extreme pain in young growing dogs, usually of a large breed. Great danes, German shepherds, dobermans, retrievers and weimaraners are examples of breeds that may be affected by this condition. It appears to occur in weimaraners as a vaccine reaction and this may also affect mastiffs and great Danes. In this case, it usually occurs a few days after vaccination and may appear to be worse than the "average" case on radiographs.
HOD usually shows up as an acute lameness, often seeming to affect all four legs simultaneously. Affected dogs may stand in a "hunched up" stance or refuse to stand up at all. They may have a fever but this is not consistently present. They usually have painful swellings around the lower joints on the legs. Some puppies will die from this disease, some suffer permanent disablity but many recover later. The disease is so painful that many owners elect to euthanize the puppy rather than watch it suffer, despite the reasonably good chance for recovery, long term. Affected dogs may be so ill that they refuse to eat.
X-rays confirm this diagnosis in most cases. There are very typical X-ray changes, although it can look a little like bone infection from a septic condition. There is some evidence at this point that viral or bacterial infections may underlie some cases of HOD as canine distemper virus has been found in the affected areas in some dogs. There can be high white blood cell counts and the alkaline phosphatase level in the blood stream is often elevated.
There is also a theory that this condition may occur with excessive dietary levels of calcium or protein. I am not sure what the current status of this theory is.
Treatment usually consists of analgesic medications such as aspirin or carprofen (Rimadyl Rx). Since a viral or bacterial agent may be involved in this problem the use of corticosteroids is questionable. Many people try switching to a diet that is lower in calcium (the puppy foods for large dogs may be a good choice now that they are available. Previously many people switched to adult dog foods which didn't always result in lower total calcium in the diet). Even more potent pain relief medications may be indicated in some puppies. Hydrocodone and aspirin may be a more effective combination than either one alone. Antibiotics are often given for this condition. There is a persistant rumor that vitamin C supplementation is beneficial in dogs with HOD. This appears to be a false rumor and there is some evidence that vitamin C may actually promote abnormal calcification in these puppies. It is not a good idea to supplement vitamin C.
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy may resolve spontaneously in as short a time as a week or so. It can be a recurrent, cyclic infection that goes on for a long time, too. If there are severe secondary bone changes, surgical correction of these may be necessary for normal future function of the limbs.
There is no reason not to control pain as effectively as possible with this condition. That definitely needs to a primary goal of treatment.
Mike Richards, DVM
Altacrests Bali working toward her championship. Photo taken by Joseph Smith
For more information about Dobermans:
Doberman Pinscher Club of America
DPCA has some info about Genetic Diseases in Dobermans
DPCA Educational -info about "What is a"White" Doberman?
Altacrest Dobermans - Our friend Gudi and her beautiful Dobermans.
This page was last edited 04/29/08
