Degenerative Myelopathy

American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation Announces Genetic Test for
Canine Degenerative Myelopathy [Thursday, May 8, 2008]
Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is an adult-onset, progressive spinal
cord disease causing weakness in the hind limbs and eventually paraplegia. Dog
owners usually elect euthanasia within a year of diagnosis; however, when
euthanasia is delayed flaccid paralysis and widespread loss of muscle mass
occur. Because common acquired compressive spinal cord diseases can mimic DM, a
definitive diagnosis currently can only be accomplished postmortem by
histopathologic observation of the spinal cord.

Drs. Gary Johnson and Joan Coates at the Animal Molecular Genetics
Laboratory of the University of Missouri and Drs. Claire Wade and Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
at the Broad Institute of MIT/Harvard and their colleagues have identified a
DNA mutation that is a major risk factor for development of degenerative
myelopathy in dogs. The research project was funded by the AKC Canine Health
Foundation, American Boxer Charitable Foundation, Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of
America, Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States, French Bulldog Club of
America, and French Bulldog Rescue League.

A DNA test will soon be available for breeders and pet owners, along with
information about what the test can and cannot tell them. The test clearly
identifies dogs that are clear (have 2 normal copies of the gene), those who are
carriers (have one normal copy of the gene and one mutated copy of the gene),
and those who are at much higher risk for developing DM (have 2 mutated
copies of the gene). However, having two mutated copies of the gene does not
necessarily result in disease.