Degenerative Myelopathy
This
site is dedicated to EXPOSING & Explaining & Eliminating
DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY (DM)
"The silent killer of dogs"
Make Sure You Ask for a DM tested pup or parents!
DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY (DM)
"The silent killer of dogs"
Make Sure You Ask for a DM tested pup or parents!
Some helpful information:
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Description:
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord of dogs. Dogs that have inherited two defective copies will experience a breakdown of the cells responsible for sending and receiving signals from the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms.
The disease often begins with an unsteady gait, and the dog may wobble when they attempt to walk. As the disease progresses, the dog's hind legs will weaken and eventually the dog will be unable to walk at all. Degenerative Myelopathy moves up the body, so if the disease is allowed to progress, the dog will eventually be unable to hold his bladder and will lose normal function in its front legs. Fortunately, there is no direct pain associated with Degenerative Myelopathy.
The onset of Degenerative Myelopathy generally occurs later in life starting at an average age of about 8 years. However, some dogs may begin experiencing symptoms much earlier, some later, and a small percentage of dogs that have inherited two copies of the mutation will not experience symptoms at all. Thus, this disease is not completely penetrant, meaning that while a dog with the mutation is highly likely to develop Degenerative Myelopathy, the disease does not affect every dog that has the genotype.
Test Is Relevant To the Following Breeds:Boxer, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, German Shepherd, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Poodle, Wire Fox Terrier, Labrador Retriever
Results:Animal Genetics offers DNA testing for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). The genetic test verifies the presence of the recessive DM mutation and presents results as one of the following:
DM/DMAffectedThe dog has inherited two copies of the mutant gene and is homozygous for DM. There is a strong likelihood that this dog will develop the disorder. The dog will always pass a copy of the mutation to its offspring.DM/nCarrierBoth the normal and mutant copies of the gene detected. The dog is a carrier for DM and could pass on either allele to any offspring 50% of the time.n/nClearDog tested negative for the DM mutation and will not pass on the defective gene to its offspring.
Degenerative Myelopathy Research
Ongoing and Additional Research
"Using the DNA test" , it has been identified that there is a mutation that can greatly increase a dog’s risk of developing degenerative myelopathy. They have found that dogs with 2 copies of the mutation (testing “affected” or "at risk") are AT RISK for developing DM at some point in their lives. The age of onset is variable, and there are dogs that test “affected” remain free from symptoms and may die from other causes before ever showing signs of DM. On the other hand, dogs that test “carrier” (one mutant copy and one normal copy) or “clear” (two normal copies) are highly unlikely to develop DM.
Below is a chart showing the results when breeding two dogs with their individual test results of their genotype.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Description:
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord of dogs. Dogs that have inherited two defective copies will experience a breakdown of the cells responsible for sending and receiving signals from the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms.
The disease often begins with an unsteady gait, and the dog may wobble when they attempt to walk. As the disease progresses, the dog's hind legs will weaken and eventually the dog will be unable to walk at all. Degenerative Myelopathy moves up the body, so if the disease is allowed to progress, the dog will eventually be unable to hold his bladder and will lose normal function in its front legs. Fortunately, there is no direct pain associated with Degenerative Myelopathy.
The onset of Degenerative Myelopathy generally occurs later in life starting at an average age of about 8 years. However, some dogs may begin experiencing symptoms much earlier, some later, and a small percentage of dogs that have inherited two copies of the mutation will not experience symptoms at all. Thus, this disease is not completely penetrant, meaning that while a dog with the mutation is highly likely to develop Degenerative Myelopathy, the disease does not affect every dog that has the genotype.
Test Is Relevant To the Following Breeds:Boxer, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, German Shepherd, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Poodle, Wire Fox Terrier, Labrador Retriever
Results:Animal Genetics offers DNA testing for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). The genetic test verifies the presence of the recessive DM mutation and presents results as one of the following:
DM/DMAffectedThe dog has inherited two copies of the mutant gene and is homozygous for DM. There is a strong likelihood that this dog will develop the disorder. The dog will always pass a copy of the mutation to its offspring.DM/nCarrierBoth the normal and mutant copies of the gene detected. The dog is a carrier for DM and could pass on either allele to any offspring 50% of the time.n/nClearDog tested negative for the DM mutation and will not pass on the defective gene to its offspring.
Degenerative Myelopathy Research
Ongoing and Additional Research
"Using the DNA test" , it has been identified that there is a mutation that can greatly increase a dog’s risk of developing degenerative myelopathy. They have found that dogs with 2 copies of the mutation (testing “affected” or "at risk") are AT RISK for developing DM at some point in their lives. The age of onset is variable, and there are dogs that test “affected” remain free from symptoms and may die from other causes before ever showing signs of DM. On the other hand, dogs that test “carrier” (one mutant copy and one normal copy) or “clear” (two normal copies) are highly unlikely to develop DM.
Below is a chart showing the results when breeding two dogs with their individual test results of their genotype.
I took this information from the following website:
http://www.animalgenetics.us/Canine/Genetic_Disease/DM.asp
http://www.caninegeneticdiseases.net/DM/resrchDM.htm
