What is it? Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the spinal cord of older dogs. It’s similar to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease in humans.

Symptoms:

• Initial Stage: The first signs are often a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The affected dog will wobble when walking, knuckle over, or drag its feet.
• Progressive Stage: As the disease progresses, the limbs become weak, and the dog begins to buckle and has difficulty standing. The weakness gets progressively worse until the dog is unable to walk.
• Late Stage: In the late stages of the disease, the dog becomes incontinent and eventually paralyzed.

Diagnosis: While there are no specific tests to definitively diagnose DM, a combination of clinical signs and genetic testing can provide a presumptive diagnosis. Genetic testing can identify if a dog is clear, a carrier, or at risk for DM.

Treatment: There’s no known cure for DM, but physical therapy, exercise, and supportive care can help manage the condition and maintain quality of life.

Breeding Considerations: Given that DM is a hereditary condition, responsible breeders often test their breeding dogs for the DM gene mutation to make informed breeding decisions and reduce the risk of producing affected puppies.

Elfore Cavaliers and DM: Elfore Cavaliers recognizes the importance of health testing and checks their breeding dogs for Degenerative Myelopathy. By doing so, they ensure that they are making informed breeding decisions and prioritizing the health and well-being of their dogs.

DM Carrier:

• Definition: A dog that is a “DM Carrier” has one copy of the mutated gene associated with Degenerative Myelopathy and one normal copy.
• Implications for Breeding: A DM Carrier dog can pass on the DM mutation to its offspring. If bred with another carrier, there’s a risk of producing affected puppies.
• Risk of Developing DM: While carriers have the mutated gene, they typically do not show symptoms of the disease. However, they can pass the mutation to their offspring.

Conclusion: Degenerative Myelopathy is a serious and progressive condition in dogs. Prospective owners should be aware of this disease and choose breeders, like Elfore Cavaliers, who prioritize the health of their dogs and conduct tests for DM and other genetic disorders.