If your dog has dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), he or she is living with a heart disease. This causes a weakening of the heart's pumping capacity, which leads to dilation, i.e. a volume overload of the left or both heart chambers. This means that the body is supplied with less blood.
DCM occurs particularly in large dog breeds. However, it does not appear in your dog until very late, which makes treatment difficult. The first phases of the disease are asymptomatic. It is only in the later phases that the dog becomes aware of the heart problems, when acute coughing and shortness of breath as well as fainting spells occur. In these cases, the body can no longer compensate for the DCM, which causes water to accumulate in various places. The lungs are often affected (pulmonary edema), and water regularly collects in the chest cavity (thoracic effusion) and abdominal cavity (water retention).
A fair amount of luck is actually needed to diagnose DCM in your dog. It is only in the second stage of the disease that your dog's heart problems can be detected using an ultrasound or ECG, while he appears to be completely healthy on the outside. If your faithful companion is living with DCM, it is important to have close contact with a cardiologist. He will administer medication with a palliative effect, but you must be prepared for the fact that DCM will stay with your dog for the rest of his life.
BARF dog food is only a limited way to respond to your dog's heart problems. Avoid salt in BARF as much as possible, as it is bad for the heart, just like in humans. Otherwise, just make sure your dog continues to have fun, plays a lot and goes for walks.
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