What's my lab been diagnosed with?!

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poiuytrewq

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I've returned home from the vet today and the name has totally gone from my head! I like to research anything to do with my animals but can't ;)
It begins with "M" and effects dogs back end causing numbness and loss of sensation. It's a progressive illness which is not treatable. Can any one help?
It's not the end of the world for us as he's nearly 14 and a happy otherwise healthy dog. The vet says it progresses slowly so more than likely at his age it won't effect him too much more and in a way probably helps him as he won't feel any old age arthritic pain.
 
It's CDRM.

We've lost two females from it, when my older girl was unable to get up unaided we called the vet straight away. She was 14 also but had it for a while beforehand. It's a neurological condition, classic symptoms are scraping of back paws on ground and being unable to flex back paws, then wobbling and eventually collapsing of back legs.
It's often confused with/misdiagnosed as hip dysplasia (our girls had hip scores of a total 12 and 0 respectively, their hips were fine).

The dog will eventually lose the use of his back legs completely, then it will spread to the front legs.

As you say the saving grace is that there is no pain, but it can cause confusion and distress for a dog who cannot understand why it cannot move around like it used to or toilet itself.

There is now a DNA test to see which animals are carriers of the condition, I hope one day it can be eradicated!
 
Thank you, sorry about your two. It sounds like a really nasty condition.
Id like to find out more about it but I'm not overly worried as like I say he's had a happy loved 14 years and we won't let him suffer. He has no trouble yet getting up it was just he's started having accidents in the house which was unheard of but he genuinely has no idea it's happened. He'd be mortified if he knew he'd poo'd but at the minute it happens as he's running or playing, we pick it up quickly and he is fine. :( poor old boy
 
Sounds like he is happy enough...there are plenty of groups on the Internet and online resources. Thanks, was a long time ago now and I hope that I will see the day when it can be at least partially prevented thanks to testing.
 
My sister's GSD had this when she was 7. Luckily it all happened v quick (went from a bit wobbly to unable to get up in 2 days) so she didn't suffer. Horrible disease, I wish it could be treated somehow :(
 
14 is a good age for a large breed dog.

It happens mostly in large breed dogs, GSDs seem to be worst afflicted. Ours were completely unrelated, English bred and German herding bred respectively, no common ancestry, straight backed, all that jazz.

Other breeds which can be afflicted are Boxers, Corgis and Dachshunds.
Off the top of my head on this forum alone, as well as my own, there have been a GSD, GSDx and a Rhodesian Ridgeback with it.
I think the test identifies 'carriers' 'affected' and 'clear' and if you mate a clear to clear then all the puppies will be clear.
 
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