DM DNA test - Page 5

So sorry to hear about your beloved Anja.

Run free, good girl.........

RoZoAn, I'm so sorry to hear that DM has taken your beautiful Anja from you. She was truly a lovely girl. I know she will live in your heart always. God Speed beloved Anja.

Hello, just wanted to thank you for this post conversation. It helps to know that there are others who have gone through the terrible saga created by DM and made it. We are on the process of saying goodbye to our lovely sweet girl Danke Shane, our 8 year old GSD. About a year ago she started loosing balance with her back legs.... We brought her in for that and what we thought was a sinus infection. X rays showed hip or spine problems, but did show a mass in her sinusis,which they suspected was cancer. The next step was a full body MRI, and biopsy of the sinus mass. Long story short the MRI showed two ruptured discs and the biopsy showed aspergillus sinusitus, both treated sugically. The nuerologist we brought her to said these type injuries are not uncommon in working class GSDs, and also told us that DM, could be a contributor, but she was only six (generally too young for DM to be the cause) and the love of our lives, so we paid poor for all the treatments.... And what a trooper she was through all that ordeal! We had some success with staving of the symptoms of the fungal disease, but unfortunately she never really responded well to the spinal surgery, and she ultimately was fully paralized on her back side about 3 months afterwards. She pulled around with her front end (which was as strong as a freight train!), so we opted to get her a wheelcart, which she took to instantly, and settled down to that modified lifestyle. But in the last six months, she started getting one UTI after another, and would have accidents in the house fairly frequently. Then she started losing control of her bowels, and began having difficulties pulling herself around. She also has lost her full bark, which we have read can be a symptom of DM, moving forward in the spine. We've consulted again with our nuerologist, and we all concur that she its a victim of this insidious disease. We have a vet coming to our house this Sunday night, after we take Danke for her last potty walk. I am going to give her multiple valium to make her sleepy and then give her the first shot which will make her unconscious. So she will be sleeping by the fire like every other night when the vet comes in to give her the final shot that will stop that loving heart from beating. I can't tell you how devastated we are to lose our beautiful girl so early.... What I can tell you (and breeders please hear me)...is that WE MUST END THIS DISEASE! If we'd known what we do now, we would not have perpetrated the practice of breeders not testing (and breeding out) DM. It its a tragic and unfair end to any dog's life, but even more so for the majestic loyal breed of the GSD, who would (and often do) give their own life for those they love.. Written in grief, but with hope.... In soon to be memory of, our girl Danke Shane

So sorry, my heart breaks for you.

Unless your dog is used to taking valium, I don't think you need to use it.  We think it makes them relaxed, but sometimes it will do the opposite for the time before the valium takes full affect. My personal experience, just thought I'd share. 

I am sorry for what is before you, how hard it truly is. 

Just want to give my sympathy to those who have lost their beloved dogs and those who are going through this tragedy. We lost are almost 13 yr old to DM. She had cancer twice, but it was the DM that took her in the end. It is beyond hard to watch them go through this!!!! We have a client that will be getting a pup from us that lost her boy at just 4 years old to DM. Way too young!!!! She had to say goodbye to him last month. My heart goes out to everyone that has or is going through this... Our breeding dogs are DM tested except for 1 that we will be doing this week through OFA.
Zavien~Clear
Askia~Clear
Anka~Clear
Gaya~Clear
Geisha will be checked this month.
 

Many conditions/diseases mimic DM. The only sure way to diagnose DM is with an autopsy.

Dogs can be DNA tested for DM anytime after they reach 4 weeks of age.