Current projects

The PROTECT scheme

Leading cardiologists are looking for owners of purebred Dobermanns between the ages of 5 and 9 and in good health who would allow their dog to be screened for early stages of heart disease. This would involve bringing their dog into one of the 5 centres across the UK once a year for a consultation and a detailed diagnostic examination by one of the UK’s leading cardiologists.  This is all done free of charge and should the dog show hidden signs of DCM they will enter into a free long term trial. All dogs that go on to show full symptoms of DCM will be put onto the vetmedin drug immediately and this will be for the rest of their lives.  At the moment cardiologists are desperate for more dogs to go onto this scheme.

If you are interested in joining and helping to combat this fatal disease in the breed please do not hesitate to contact either myself, Rebecca Barber via email: r.barber@liverpool.ac.uk or telephone: 07786 244965 or alternatively, you can call the PROTECT information line on 01344 742574 and leave your details.

The LUPA study

We are lucky in now taking part in a European wide project with the goal of unravelling dog genetic diseases with a view to also helping humans. This is called the LUPA project. It is investigating a number of genetic diseases in dogs, including DCM - There are details on the eurolupa website.

Recently, a DCM and a CONTROL cohort have been identified in Germany. A genome wide association has been carried out, and at least TWO regions of interest have been identified, close to statistical significance. Some DNA samples from the UK have been sent to map these regions.

Future plans

1.  Joanna Dukes McEwan and the rest of the team at The University of Liverpool are in the process of putting together a grant proposal for the DBC along with the Kennel Club Charitable Trust to be able to cover more post mortems. This will enable them to investigate the possibility that the structural changes in the heart are responsible for some of the abnormal heart rhythms.


2. Jo Dukes McEwan and myself are working together to try and set up a screening test with the KC/BVA for DCM in Dobermanns. After years of research by Jo Dukes McEwan and her team we now know enough about Dobermann DCM and screening in the breed to set this up, without it being "research" as such. For more information on heart testing and to see a list of cardiologists in the UKthat are able to do the heart testing please look at the link below.
   
   http://www.bsava.org.uk/vcs/
   (look at heart testing)
   

It is very early stages yet but we hope to have a screening test set up by sometime in 2011. Firstly we need to make sure that the KC/BVA have sufficient funds to set this up for Dobermanns and we need to find out if the KC would be prepared to collate the results for us. The aim would be to screen all bitches that are going to be bred from and all dogs that will be used at stud. Serial screening should be carried out every 1-2 years and only results from NORMAL dogs would be published and then breeders should then select dogs from this list to breed from or use at stud.

Health Seminar Day

I am hoping to run a Health Seminar Day, there is no date for this set yet but I am now looking at the beginning of 2011. The aim of this day is to raise awareness of the health problems in the breed and to raise money for all of the health schemes in place. The day would entail seminars on Dobermann health related problems such as DCM, Hip Dysplasia and Hypothyroidism (if I can get the appropriate speakers). I also want to try and run a match alongside this and possibly some fun agility or Good Citizen training and testing. I also want to run some heart testing on the day too.  This will take place at a central venue in the UK in order to get maximum participation from all clubs and it is open to anyone in any breed who may be interested. For any further information on DCM in Dobermanns please do not hesitate to contact me:

Miss Rebecca Barber
Valley Cottage,
Cherry Lane,
Church Lawton,
Nr Stoke-on-Trent,
ST7 3QX

Telephone: 07786 244965
email: r.barber@liverpool.ac.uk