Degenerative Myelopathy, DM
The dog equivalent of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, DM is a progressive degenerative disorder of the spinal cord. Because the nerves that control the hind limbs are the first to degenerate, the most common clinical signs are back muscle wasting and gait abnormalities.
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Signs and symptoms
You may notice your dog scuffing the tops of his or her hind paws, or walking with a hesitant, exaggerated gait. In advanced cases, it can lead to weakness or near-paralysis of all four legs and widespread muscle wasting.
Affected dogs do not usually show signs of DM until they are at least 8 years old. -
Diagnosis
Definitive diagnosis requires microscopic analysis of the spinal cord after death. However, veterinarians use clues such as genetic testing, breed, age, and other diagnostics to determine if DM is the most likely cause of your dog’s clinical signs.
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Treatment
As dogs are seniors at the time of onset, the treatment for DM is aimed towards increasing their comfort through a combination of lifestyle changes, medication, and physical therapy.
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What to do if your dog is at risk
Actions
- Giving your dog the best quality of life for as long as possible is all you can do after receiving this diagnosis.
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Genetic Information
This mutation was first identified in the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
Please note that this mutation is reported to have incomplete penetrance: that is, while a dog with two copies of this mutation has a much greater chance of developing DM than a dog with one or zero copies of the mutation, other genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of the disease.
Gene names:
SOD1A ‐ chr
Please note: While we test for the SOD1A variant, we do not test for the SOD1B variant at this time. Degenerative Myelopathy genotype results apply only to SOD1A.
Inheritance type:
recessive
Citations:
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Breeds affected
This health condition affects the following breeds
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Affenpinscher
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Afghan Hound
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Airedale Terrier
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Akita
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Akita Inu
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Alaskan-type Husky
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Alaskan Malamute
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American English Coonhound
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American Eskimo Dog
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American Foxhound
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American Hairless Terrier
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American Leopard Hound
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American Pit Bull Terrier
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American Staffordshire Terrier
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American Water Spaniel
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Anatolian Shepherd Dog
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Appenzeller Sennenhund
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Armenian Gampr
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Australian Cattle Dog
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Australian Shepherd
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Australian Terrier
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Azawakh
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Barbet
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Basenji
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Basset Fauve de Bretagne
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Basset Hound
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Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound
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Beagle
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Bearded Collie
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Beauceron
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Bedlington Terrier
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Belgian Laekenois
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Belgian Malinois
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Belgian Sheepdog
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Belgian Tervuren
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Bergamasco Sheepdog
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Berger Picard
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Bernese Mountain Dog
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Bichon Frise
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Biewer Terrier
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Black and Tan Coonhound
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Black Russian Terrier
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Bloodhound
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Blue Lacy
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Blue Picardy Spaniel
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Bluetick Coonhound
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Boerboel
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Bohemian Shepherd
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Bolognese
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Border Collie
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Border Terrier
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Borzoi
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Boston Terrier
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Bouvier des Flandres
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Boxer
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Boykin Spaniel
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Bracco Italiano
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Braque D'Auvergne
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Braque Du Bourbonnais
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Braque Francais Pyrenean
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Briard
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Brittany
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Brussels Griffon
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Bull Terrier
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American Bulldog
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Bulldog
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French Bulldog
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Bullmastiff
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Cairn Terrier
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Canaan Dog
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Canadian Eskimo Dog
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Cane Corso
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Cane Di Fonni
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Cardigan Welsh Corgi
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Carolina Dog
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Catahoula Leopard Dog
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Caucasian Ovcharka
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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
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Central Asian Shepherd Dog
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Cesky Fousek
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Cesky Terrier
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Chesapeake Bay Retriever
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Chihuahua
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Chinese Chongqing Dog
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Chinese Crested
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Chinese Shar-Pei
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Chinook
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Chow Chow
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Cimarron Uruguayo
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Cirneco Dell'Etna
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Clumber Spaniel
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Cocker Spaniel
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Collie
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Colombian Fino Hound
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Coton de Tulear
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Curly-Coated Retriever
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Czechoslovakian Vlcak
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Dachshund
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Dalmatian
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Dandie Dinmont Terrier
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Doberman Pinscher
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Dogo Argentino
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Dogue de Bordeaux
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Drentsche Patrijshond
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Dutch Shepherd
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Norwegian Elkhound
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English Cocker Spaniel
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English Foxhound
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English Setter
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English Shepherd
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English Springer Spaniel
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English Toy Spaniel
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Entlebucher Mountain Dog
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Eurasier
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Field Spaniel
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Fila Brasileiro
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Finnish Lapphund
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Finnish Spitz
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Flat-Coated Retriever
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Wire Fox Terrier
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French Spaniel
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German Longhaired Pointer
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German Pinscher
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German Shepherd Dog
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German Shorthaired Pointer
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German Spitz
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German Wirehaired Pointer
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Giant Schnauzer
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Glen of Imaal Terrier
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Golden Retriever
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Gordon Setter
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Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen
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Great Dane
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Great Pyrenees
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Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
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Greenland Dog
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Greyhound
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Hamiltonstovare
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Harrier
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Havanese
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Hokkaido
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Hovawart
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Ibizan Hound
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Icelandic Sheepdog
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Irish Red and White Setter
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Irish Setter
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Irish Terrier
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Irish Water Spaniel
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Irish Wolfhound
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Istrian Shorthaired Hound
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Italian Greyhound
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Jagdterrier
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Jamthund
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Japanese Chin
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Jindo
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Kai Ken
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Karakachan
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Karelian Bear Dog
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Keeshond
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Australian Kelpie
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Kerry Blue Terrier
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Kishu Ken
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Alaskan Klee Kai
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Komondor
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Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
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Koolie
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Kuvasz
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Labrador Retriever
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Lagotto Romagnolo
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Lakeland Terrier
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Lancashire Heeler
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Lapponian Herder
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Leonberger
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Levriero Meridionale
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Lhasa Apso
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Llewellin Setter
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Windsprite
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Lowchen
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Maltese
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Manchester Terrier (Standard)
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Manchester Terrier (Toy)
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Maremma Sheepdog
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Markiesje
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Mastiff
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McNab
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Mi-Ki
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Miniature/MAS-type Australian Shepherd
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Miniature Bull Terrier
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Miniature Pinscher
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Miniature Schnauzer
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Mountain Cur
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Mudi
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Munsterlander (Large)
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Munsterlander (Small)
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Neapolitan Mastiff
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New Guinea Singing Dog
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New Zealand Huntaway
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Newfoundland
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Norfolk Terrier
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Norrbottenspets
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Norwegian Buhund
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Norwegian Lundehund
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Norwich Terrier
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Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
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Old English Sheepdog
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Otterhound
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Papillon
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Pekingese
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Pembroke Welsh Corgi
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Perdiguero de Burgos
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Perro de Presa Canario
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Peruvian Inca Orchid
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Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
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Pharaoh Hound
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Phu Quoc Ridgeback
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Picardy Spaniel
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Plott
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Pointer
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Polish Lowland Sheepdog
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Polish Tatra Sheepdog
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Pomeranian
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Poodle (Standard)
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Poodle (Small)
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Portuguese Podengo
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Portuguese Podengo Pequeno
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Portuguese Pointer
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Portuguese Water Dog
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Prague Ratter
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Pudelpointer
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Pug
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Puli
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Pumi
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Pungsan
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Pyrenean Mastiff
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Pyrenean Shepherd
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Rat Terrier
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Redbone Coonhound
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Rhodesian Ridgeback
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Rottweiler
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Russell-type Terrier
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Russian Toy
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Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka
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Saint Bernard
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Saluki
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Samoyed
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Sarplaninac
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Schapendoes
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Schipperke
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Scottish Deerhound
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Scottish Terrier
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Sealyham Terrier
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Shetland Sheepdog
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Shiba Inu
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Shih Tzu
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Shikoku
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Shiloh Shepherd
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Siberian Husky
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Silken Windhound
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Silky Terrier
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Skye Terrier
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Sloughi
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Slovensky Cuvac
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Smooth Fox Terrier
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Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
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Spanish Galgo
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Spanish Mastiff
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Spanish Water Dog
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Spinone Italiano
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Stabyhoun
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
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Standard Schnauzer
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Sussex Spaniel
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Swedish Lapphund
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Swedish Vallhund
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Teddy Roosevelt Terrier
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Terrier Brasileiro
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Thai Bangkaew
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Thai Ridgeback
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Tibetan Mastiff
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Tibetan Spaniel
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Tibetan Terrier
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Tosa (Inu)
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Toy Fox Terrier
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Treeing Walker Coonhound
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Vizsla
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Volpino Italiano
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Weimaraner
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Welsh Sheepdog
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Welsh Springer Spaniel
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Welsh Terrier
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West Highland White Terrier
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West Siberian Laika
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Wetterhoun
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Whippet
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White Shepherd
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Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
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Wirehaired Vizsla
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Xoloitzcuintli
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Yakutian Laika
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Yorkshire Terrier
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