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HIGH QUALITY DNA
TESTING YOU CAN TRUST
OUR PANELS
The tests in our DNA health testing panels are selected based on the scientific evidence available for disorders in the breed. Our scientists stay up to date with the latest developments and discoveries in the field to ensure that our testing panels are as up-to-date as possible.
DID YOU KNOW?
Our ISO-accredited testing services are relied upon by UK police forces for assessing the suitability of canine recruits for police duties.
TESTIMONIALS
approx. 2 weeks
Typical turnaround
1
Conditions screened
Simple cheek swab
At-home sampling
UK laboratory
Tested in-house
Degenerative MyelopathyDM
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord that usually appears in older dogs. It gradually weakens the hind limbs, leading to loss of coordination and eventually difficulty walking. It is not painful, but it is progressive. Knowing a dog's status supports breeding decisions and early awareness.
An autosomal recessive condition with variable expression between breeds caused by a mutation in the SOD1 gene.
Signs to look for
Usually from around 8 years old: wobbliness or dragging of the hind paws, loss of coordination in the back legs, worn nails, and gradually progressing hind-limb weakness.
How it's inherited
Recessive with incomplete penetrance — a dog needs two copies to be at risk, but not every at-risk dog develops signs.
What your result means
Clear (N/N): no copies of the variant; not expected to develop this inherited form.
Carrier (N/DM): one copy. Very unlikely to develop DM, but can pass the variant on.
At risk (DM/DM): two copies. At risk of developing DM, though not all at-risk dogs do.
Degenerative MyelopathyDM
- Gene
- SOD1
- Variant
- c.118G>A (p.Glu40Lys)
- Inheritance
- autosomal recessive
- OMIA
- OMIA 000263 9615
- Reported frequency
- One of the most widespread canine disease variants, reported across very many breeds with varying penetrance.
Molecular mechanism
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the spinal cord that typically affects dogs older than 8 years of age. The condition is characterised by progressive muscle atrophy and weakness of the limbs, advancing to tetraparesis (Awano et al., 2009) and eventually respiratory muscle failure (Nardone et al., 2016). DM is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition with variable expression between breeds. Missense mutation (c.118G\u0026gt;A; p.E40K) in exon 2 of the SOD1 gene on canine chromosome 31 (CFA31) was identified as the primary genetic risk factor by Awano et al., (2009). However, some dogs homozygous for the variant remain clinically unaffected, demonstrating incomplete penetrance. The SOD1.118G\u0026gt;A risk allele has been identified in 222 dog breeds. Burnese Mountain Dogs are also susceptible to this version of DM in addition to their breed-specific variant of DM, see DM- BMD variant for further information.
References
Awano, T., Johnson, GS., Wade, CM., Katz, ML., Johnson, GC., Taylor, JF., Perloski, M., Biagi, T., Baranowska, I., Long, S., March, PA., Olby, NJ., Shelton, GD., Khan, S., O\u0026#39;Brien, DP., Lindblad-Toh, K., Coates, JR. : Genome-wide association analysis reveals a SOD1 mutation in canine degenerative myelopathy that resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:2794-9, 2009. Pubmed reference: 19188595. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812297106.
Nardone, R., Höller, Y., Taylor, A.C., Lochner, P., Tezzon, F., Golaszewski, S., Brigo, F., Trinka, E. : Canine degenerative myelopathy: a model of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Zoology (Jena) 119:64-73, 2016. Pubmed reference: 26432396. DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.09.003.
Zeng, R., Coates, J.R., Johnson, G.C., Hansen, L., Awano, T., Kolicheski, A., Ivansson, E., Perloski, M., Lindblad-Toh, K., O\u0026#39;Brien, D.P., Guo, J., Katz, M.L., Johnson, G.S. : Breed distribution of SOD1 alleles previously associated with canine degenerative myelopathy. J Vet Intern Med 28:515-21, 2014. Pubmed reference: 24524809. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12317.
