Insights into the hereditability of canine cardiomyopathy

Abstract

There is evidence for a genetic etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy in at least two breeds, the Doberman pinscher and the Boxer dog. Significant effort toward determining a genetic etiology in these breeds will depend on careful characterization of the disease, determination of criteria for diagnosing asymptomatic affected individuals, determination of a pattern of inheritance, and, eventually, molecular evaluation of the specific gene.