For Those Who Test For DM, What Age? - Page 4

Offa uses DDC, same same.

but the statistics on OFA's site are only from the dogs they have in their databse, that's where I came up with that number;)

They make us think we have choices;)

The factual information is non-existant. The tests have a 33% chance of being accurate....but if the 'test' itself is not applicable for the gsd, then the test is bogus, no matter what "letters" they assign. I think a bigger problem, one that takes dogs in their prime of life, suddenly and in a horrific manner, is hemangiosarcoma.......one minute the dog is fine, eating, playing, never sick a day in their life...eight hours later the dog can be bleeding out internally, in horrible pain..and there's nothing the owner can do to relieve the suffering except try to get to the vet before the dog expires. Now THAT is more important and more urgent to identify to prevent than DM, which, granted it does exist. But in over sixty years of having dogs of many different breeds, many of them living well into their teens up to sixteen years, I have never had a dogwith DM nor have I seen a dog with DM.

I agree ^^^^

The more DNA submitted from GSD's, the better the chance of identifying the responsible gene/s and how to control the disease. GSD's suspected of suffering from DM should be autopsied by a competent vet and those results compared to the test results and reported to the OFA.

PS: only ONE way to prove or disprove the DNA test results - compare autopsy results to test results. Otherwise, it's pure speculation. Why not test you dogs? What's the harm in contributing to the database? Use the results as you see fit for  your own breeding program.

My scenario is - my female's grandsire was positive for DM at autopsy, he tested at risk. One of his sons was tested,a carrier. My female was out of a normal dam, bred to that carrier male. She was bred to a normal sire, both surviving pups tested as carriers. 3 did not survive long enough to be tested; odds are they would have tested normal.  We pay a lot of attention to how these dogs are bred because there ia a confirmed case of DM in the immediate pedigree. Wouldn't  you?

I have seen (met) quite a few diagnosed cases of DM  [ "German Shepherd Syndrome"]

here in the UK,  over the years.  Don't know what that says about the lineage of British

dogs or the relative size / population of the US and us !

 

While I regret the fact that current tests seem to be a bit unreliable and we are not even

sure whether we are chasing the correct genes in re our breed,  I do agree with Blitzen

that we should use what is available.  This can only hasten chances of improvement to

the testing, by increasing the DNA on file available for study.  We should all do everything

we can, whether financial or by supply of swab and blood samples to facilitate any ongoing

research.  I think it is a pity that these threds sometimes indicate there are problems of

independence which seem to delay the research.

 

But I also agree with Joan, that DM isn't such a priority as haemangiosarcoma.  At least

with DM there is a chance that it will not be rapidly progressive and dogs can be helped

with carts and such.  These cancers which seem ever more prevalent are sudden and

lethal.  In the UK we have some newish research going on under the auspices of the

Royal Veterinary College, and I would urge British readers to supply samples from both

affected and unaffected dogs in order to progress this.   I realise that if your dog has a

haemangiosarcoma diagnosis this is time-pressured and distressing, so worth having a

conversation with your vets about the reporting possibilities while your dogs are still

healthy.

Even if there were DNA tests to identify carriers or at risks for these sudden and fatal cancers, we would still be hearing excuses for not using them to test breeding stock. Some are still pontificating about why they don't xray hips and elbows, why they don't test for cardiac and thyroid function,  why titling and breed surveying GSD's are wastes of time, on and on. It easier to argue against the value of DNA tests or to not test at all than it is to use the results in an  way that might benefit the entire breed in the long run. Every cheek swab that is submitted for DM testing is one more small step toward solving the DM mystery in this breed.

But DM is in no way as leathal or prevalent as hemangiosarcoma....nor is DM as fast in killing healthy Young dogs in their prime. So blitzen, you are arguing to Not do reacearch before it even happens. Sensibility will prevail when confronted with something that is not an issue compared to something that suddenly kills, in a painful manner, young dogs and its common. You can argue against study for it, it doesn't affect you evidently, but you had one dog with DM, so that is important to you. I will wager there are more dogs in one year that will be suddenly stricken by hemangiosarcoma and die an agonizing death than DM will affect in a life time. When you hear about dogs in their prime dying suddenly it sure isn't DM killing them.

why is there no DNA test for hip disp? Could it be because it is poly-gentic and enviromental issue? Could DM be the same problem? I will xray all of my dogs but I will need more proof before I DM test. I will continue to adhere to the SV Korung as my breedworthiness min. Please add a proven DM test when available