IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT re Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) - Page 11

Marj - I am sorry to hear that Missie T is not doing well... also sorry to hear about the problems you have had with your young boy :(  That does sound like a tough situation.  

Val

I know, BeeTree... If she has another day like this tomorrow, I will know.. I dont want to know, but I will know. Up till today, she was still so full of life and so happy. I am hoping it is just a bad day- everyone has a bad day, but I wont have her having many bad days. I just need to know its not just one bad day. I am trying not to have a panic attack, for her sake, tonight, bt tomorrow will be a tell tale day.. I am going to have her vet come over tomorrow, at either rate, to check her out. He lives in my town and he is an amazing person. They dont make vets like him anymore. I got him from Dr Clemmons, when I left the vet that killed Joss by his bad diagnosis. This vet who I have used since last year has been a Godsend. He comes to the house to see Missie T. OMG, my heart is so heavy tonight. I think it might crash right out of my body through the center of the earth, its so damn heavy.

Yes, Val- I think God is testing me to see how much I can bear.I am at my breaking point :(

I have added a survey on my web site, as per suggestion, to be able to keep track of dogs that have had the OFA DM Test whose results have been contradicted by necrospy,  carriers that have developed DM, or progeny of clear dogs who develop DM.The survey can be reached on the http://mzjf.com/test.html page of my website
The direct link to the survey is http://www.mzjf.com/forms/form.cdform.php 

I would much appreciate people cross posting so word can get out that information is being gathered as to the accuracy of the test in relation to the German Shepherd Dog. Thank you so much for the suggestion to keep track of tested dogs. I hope you will all help in publicizing this survey.

  Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group  

Dsurber , please contact me ASAP! Read the PM I sent you, please!

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group 

Valerie-- The OFA web site has been updated to state that there have been two dogs that were normal/normal on the test that were diagnosed with DM. So we know that the UM test does not cover all forms of DM. http://www.offa.org/dnatesting/dmexplanation.html Note that the test is now described as being for the most common form of DM. That means the most common form across all dogs. Another form *may* be more common in a particular breed. Of the two dogs one was a Bernese Mountain Dog that was homozygous for a different SOD1 mutation. The other was my GSD. He had the normal form of the SOD1 gene. The genetic cause of his DM is unknown but UM is working on it. So we know that there is a second form of DM that occurs in GSDs and is not detected by the OFA/UM DNA test. The form of DM detected by the test does not affect the sensory nerves very much. My GSD had an almost complete loss of sensation that progressed with the paralysis. I have talked to several other GSD owners whose dogs showed a similar profound, prgressive loss of sensation. I have been in correspondence with researchers at UM. They are very interested in tracking down this alternate form of the disease. To do that they need more data. If you have a dog with DM who shows a profound and progressive loss of sensation please have him/her tested. If the result is normal/normal please contact Liz Hansen at UM immediately.