What are Screening Tests, and Should You Use them?
******** * ******* says:
July 11, 2019 at 10:04 am
I am wondering what the opinion is for screening electrocardiograms in light of the DCM scare with some cases being possibly related to grain free and legume heavy diets? If a dog has no outward symptoms of DCM and is no longer on a grain free diet, do we consider the extra measure of screening that dog with an echo? A dog may have DCM in the early stages with no outward signs..Some people are also getting Taurine blood levels as well…
skeptvet says:
July 13, 2019 at 9:29 am
An electrocardiogram looks for abnormal heart rhythms, not DCM per se, and would not be an appropriate screening test.
An echo and taurine levels are recommended for dogs in which there is a concern, but again since the number of cases is VERY small in terms of how many dogs are eating grain-free diets, most of these tests will be negative. I still think they are worth doing in dogs eating the diets so far identified by the FDA or in high-risk breeds (e.g. golden retrievrs), but the testing costs several hundred dollars depending on where you live (both tests together are over $700 in my area), and the echo may not be readily available in places where there are not a lot of cardiologists practicing, so given the uncertainty not everyone chooses to have the tests done.
