DM Care - Tips & Links

There are no definitive tests to confirm that a dog has Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) until post-mortem when a necropsy is performed to examine the spinal cord under a microscope.  A presumptive diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy may be given after all other conditions that can cause similar symptoms is ruled out.

If you are noticing that your dog is dragging a hind paw, showing loss of proprioception, knuckling, or hind leg weakness, but is not acting as if in pain, then the first step is to determine the Risk factor for DM.  This is done through an easy, inexpensive DNA test that can be performed at home to see if your dog carries the SOD1 gene mutation.  This is an important step towards receiving a presumptive diagnosis, because if the DNA test were to come back as Clear (meaning your dog does not have the genetic mutation), or Carrier (meaning your dog only has one copy of the gene), then it is unlikely that your dog has DM. But, if the test results are At Risk, then the chances are more likely. For a full explanation about the possible test results, please go to https://www.ofa.org/diseases/dna-tested-diseases/dm 

Stages of Degenerative Myelopathy

Dr. Coates & VetVine Explain the stages of DM   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA57nsGtEOI&fbclid=IwAR0UbT2kXOWUmEW8b-kbAoG8S7GdKL4NXFiHLnX6deELFv6dTeSGzGxwN2k 

Where to order the DNA test kit

We encourage that you order the DNA test kit from  The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). The OFA has partnered with the Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California–Davis and the Animal Molecular Genetics Lab at the University of Missouri as a DNA repository for a variety of canine genetic diseases. If we are ever to fully understand the impact of degenerative myelopathy in different dog breeds, we need to have as much data being collected through the OFA as possible.

To order a DNA test kit from the OFA, please click here.

If you prefer to order the test kit from another source, please make sure to request that the test results are sent to the OFA.

Gensol Diagnostics also provides genetic testing (including a popular saliva swab), please pay the extra few dollars to request that the results be recorded into the database.

Support Groups

Caring for a DM dog can get overwhelming. Please join our Facebook page #ShadeOutDM and ask questions! We will do our best to help you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1505537596196731/ 

In the United Kingdom - "Breed Out DM"  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031478517162349/ 

In the Netherlands  -   https://www.facebook.com/JippeDM/