For Those Who Test For DM, What Age? - Page 7

hey blitzen---------- what ever---------- I feel trumped how many hands is that horse?

    Blitzen, what you have posted from the OFA site and your own comments assume that the University of Missouri correctly identified the gene responsible for DM and that there is no more research that needs to be done to check the veracity of the test. By declaring mission accomplished, the University of Missouri killed any research into the true cause of DM in German Shepherd Dogs. I don't see any incentive for them to recognize that they have a problem. I have seen breeders not getting HD approved tout a clear DM test as evidence of them being a responsible breeder. I would like to see breeders educate people that ask for DM test results rather than just giving in.

      Someone asked earlier and there is a snap test being developed for HD.

It's my understanding that the research on DM in the GSD is ongoing. I'm sure If you pm the OFFA they can answer any questions you have. Or you can contact Dr. Coates - CoatesJ@missouri.edu I have always received timely responses from both.

I think the research for DM has been ongoing for quite a long time with no change or new results. Therefore we are still back at square one. This testing ca be argued till the cows come home, and there will still be no compromise in opinions.  Im not sure why breeders feel the need to debate this. Why not jsut agree to disagree until researchers come up with something concrete to rely on.  JMO...

Generally 'breeders' have dogs and this is an issue which applies to their dogs as well. Why is blitzen debating it...she says she never had a dog with it and she doesn't breed gsds. Seems that breeders have a right to debate anything regarding dogs that is debatable. Jmo.

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What? I haven't been 'pissed off'. What's there to be 'pissed off' about? I guess maybe some would prefer to be the only voice on some topics. Oh, well.

I will support an accurate test for DM. Here is my thought pattern. I raise a pup, and take it to my vet at 6 months old for x rays of hips. My vets says ''looks like good hips''. I keep this pup a few more months for training evaluations. If my vet says '' bad hips'' or ''maybe OFA fair hips'' I find another [ non-breeding'] home for this dog. I look at the x rays and can see my vets opinions on film. If I had trust in a DM test I would have the same responce to a good, fair- or poor evaluation. What if i ash-canned a promising pup for a faulty test?  My charity to the breed is distributed in other fashions, not to the gathering of data. 

Certainly not considered a closed topic over here;  those studying DM

are aware of the American research, the drawbacks & arguments, and

of the competitive nature of the funding situation.  DM in other breeds

than the GSD is the subject  of separate & ongoing research.