Karl: Early Knowledge Goes a Long Way

Karl is my first dog. I always wanted to have a dog but as a student I did not have enough time to dedicate to a pet. When I settled in San Diego for my career, I knew it was time!  

I thought about a lot of different types of dogs to get, and was drawn to Dobermans. They are very athletic, easy to train, and it seemed that this breed would fit into my lifestyle. I got Karl when he was a 12-week-old puppy, although I first met him when he was just one week old. We instantly bonded. He is curious, playful, and always exploring – this hasn’t changed as he has grown up. 

When I got Karl, I started an Instagram to document him growing up. The account became very popular! I connected with other Doberman owners through his account and learned from them that it would be important for me to monitor him for heart issues even when he was very young. 

Dobermans are one of the breeds more commonly affected by a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). I knew a little bit about this when I got Karl. Thanks to Karl’s Instagram account, I learned a lot more about how to monitor for this potential condition through other Doberman owners. And because I am a scientist, I researched even more, learning that getting Holter monitoring and echocardiogram tests early on are essential to helping diagnose this potential condition later on. Very often there are no obvious symptoms in Dobermans affected by DCM until it is too late.  Getting the baseline tests early is crucial for discovering it in initial stages when the disease can still be managed with medications and years added to your dog’s life.

When Karl turned two, I found that UC Davis is well-known for its cardiology specialty. I was even more excited to learn that there are specialists right here in San Diego through the UC Veterinary Medical Center, Southern California (soon to be the UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Center). So, since Karl was just two years old, he has been seen by the cardiology specialists at the center. 

At first, the monitoring was just a baseline. Then, when Karl was about five years old, the specialists started to see some changes in his heart. He didn’t show symptoms yet, but the changes were starting to be present with the tests. The doctor put Karl on a medication to help slow the progression of his heart disease. 

About six months ago, there were some more noticeable changes, and so the medication was adjusted. Also, I feed him a heart-healthy diet, which took some trial and error but has been very helpful. The clinicians in the San Diego center also shared what to look for in terms of potential issues. For Karl, I try to manage any potential stressful situation as best as possible, which can even be something as simple as making sure he isn’t upset when the mail is delivered! 

Now, at eight years, old, Karl is the same curious explorer that he was when he was little. He is still active and doing so well. He has been my trail running partner since his early puppyhood and he still gets to enjoy the trails, although we keep the mileage lower these days.  He also loves to play fetch at the local parks but to keep it easy on his heart, he now sprints less and sniffs more!  We also incorporated some water activities like paddleboarding to keep him enjoying the outdoors. 

I feel lucky that the specialists in UC Davis veterinary center in San Diego are on Karl’s team. I hope that sharing Karl’s story helps other dog owners – a little prevention can go a long way! 

- Irena

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Learn more about UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Center’s Gratitude in Action program here.