The term degenerative myelopathy is descriptive of its effect on the dog. It wears away (degenerative) the myelin sheath (myelopathy) that surrounds the nerves of the spinal cord. As that protective covering around the nerves disintegrates, a variety of neurological symptoms start showing.
What Are The Symptoms Of Degenerative Myelopathy?
The dog’s neurological function is slowly affected. It changes his ability to move normally over time, until he is unable to walk. He can also develop loss of control of bowel or bladder. Degenerative myelopathy is the dog’s version of Lou Gerig’s Disease (ALS).
How and when degenerative myelopathy is expressed varies greatly from breed to breed. There is no cure or treatment other than keeping the dog comfortable. It is progressive. This means there is a slow but inevitable deterioration of the dog’s functioning. Some dogs with the disease may need to be euthanized.
Most breeds of dogs carry the genes. As a matter of fact, over 115 breeds in addition to mixed breeds have the gene for this disease.
How Prevalent Is Degenerative Myelopathy?
Degenerative myelopathy in cotons is thankfully, rare and recessive. Recessive means that a dog has to inherit a mutant gene from each of its parents in order to be affected. Around 4% of the canine population is affected. From what studies I have read, about 15% of cotons were found to be carriers (only one mutant gene). 0% were homozygous for the mutant gene. However, the statistics are so small as to be inconclusive.
Another interesting fact: while all dogs that show the symptoms of the disease will have 2 mutant genes, not all dogs that have two mutant genes develop the disease. Take a second to mull that over.
That’s Good News! And Bad…
The good news, if there is such a thing for any disease, is that if symptoms do appear, it’s usually late in a dog’s life (8-10 years old). That means at least he has had a symptom free early life. The bad news is, if breeding stock isn’t DNA tested, an increase in the disease could occur, since symptoms aren’t evident until after the dog has been bred multiple times.
How To Tell If Your Dog Has Degenerative Myelopathy
Simple. ANYONE can get a DNA test. Buy the test online. The company will send you a cheek swab and instructions on obtaining a sample, mail it back to them and wait for the results. If TWO genes are mutant genes, it is degenerative myelopathy.
For breeders, using DNA testing for mutations, is paramount in making sure the incidence of the disease isn’t increased by inadvertent pairing of two carriers. Breed two carrier dogs together and it becomes possible to have puppies that are affected and sold as pets to families unbeknownst to breeder or buyer. In 10 or so years those families find out they have a dog with the disease.
In order to improve the chances that a Yankee Coton remains healthy throughout his life, this test is included in the medical clearances performed on all breeding stock here. With careful breeding the percentage of degenerative myelopathy can stay low.
Consider too, even if only one dog in a million is affected, if it happens to be your dog, the statistics don’t matter. So, since it is possible to test and eliminate one disease from all the possibilities, I think it is worth it.
