OFA DM normal--meaning - Page 1

What does OFA normal for DM mean for a stud dog?

Carrier or not?

IMHO, means nothing.. sorry- ofa normal means nothing in our breed. Having a normal result does not mean the pups of this dog cannot develop DM, even if bred to a clear OFA DM clear female. There have alreaydy been  instances where clear matings have produced affected dogs. If you read the wording carefully, it says that other things can cause DM in some breeds. We are one of those :(

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry (a health registry for registered German Shepherds)
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate

  

To answer your question... it means the dog is not a carrier... the dog is CLEAR, according to OFA.

It means that dog is clear for the genetic marker which that particular test is looking for, and which has been associated with a form of degenerative myelopathy in some dog breeds.  The classic DM of the German Shepherd Dog, however, appears to have NO association with that genetic marker, so the test does not guarantee the dog will not develop the latter form of the disease.  IMO, there is more than one type of DM that can occur in GSDs, so if the OFA test can rule out the type that's associated with that genetic marker, great.  Meanwhile, Dr. Clemmons' work continues toward better identification of genetic markers or other clues that will give us the insight as to whether or not a dog is likely to develop the classic DM of GSDs. 

What it means to me is this -  the owner of the dog did what he or she felt was  necessary in order to  breed the healthiest dogs possible. Is the DM DNA test a sure thing? Maybe, maybe not, no one knows for sure right now.  The results of that DNA test is not intended to eliminate any dogs from breeding; it is merely a tool that allows those who chose to not double up on the gene; their goal is to not produce anymore at risks whenever possible. 

It's been explained here many times what those results mean. OFA has dedicated a page of its website to offer their opinions and how the results should be factored into a breeding program.