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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on September 2, 2009 at 4:54am

I've been keeping up with the research pretty closely and I don't believe this (whether some parents can be clear and yet produce an at-risk puppy) is yet known. I doubt it, though; the gene seems pretty stable.

A couple of notes:

- The corgi breeds are NOT the only small breeds to have this gene. http://offa.org/dnateststats.html allows you to watch the results pile up - note that the gene has been confirmed in EVERY breed that has submitted more than a few samples. Mixed breeds are running about 65% abnormal. We need to get to the level of thousands of results, but this hints to us that this is a common gene in ALL breeds and it's likely that all tested breeds will end up with a large, even a majority, percentage of abnormal genes.

- Because the gene is SO widespread in all breeds, including those who have never seen the clinical disease and who had never even heard of it until the DNA test came out, it's not inappropriate for breeders to be testing and then waiting to see what we learn. We really aren't at the stage yet where breeders should be forced to do anything, and that includes labeling them as better or worse than any other breeder. This isn't like PRA. Your breeder should have heard of it and should be able to give you a good answer about why they are making the decisions they are making, but we just aren't to the point where we can beat breeders over the head about this.

- If you own a corgi of either type, your dog is MUCH more likely to "go down" because of IVDD (disc injuries and disease) than DM, and IVDD is extremely painful and occurs at the prime of life. DM is painless and is an old-age disease. Getting rid of DM, if it's possible, is not going to keep corgis out of carts or off the surgery table.

- Carriers have the same neural damage as dogs that test at risk; the only difference is that carriers seem to accumulate the junk that wrecks the nerves at a slower rate. Dr. Coates says that if they lived to be, say, 20 or 30, they'd show symptoms. But remember that that's very preliminary knowledge, and can change. It could be that we will identify carriers with clinical symptoms and have to change the whole way we look at the testing. This is still a disease that we are at the very beginning stages of understanding.

- If you are looking at purchasing a Pembroke, be aware that there are (last time I checked) maybe one or two show lines that have ANY clears at all. You are very, very unlikely to be able to get a well-bred puppy where both parents test clear. If you feel very strongly about not buying a dog who is either a carrier or at risk, you will need to wait for a long time and really do your homework.

- Don't panic. Look at the corgi owners all around you. The overwhelming majority of all the Pems on this forum are genetically positive for this disease, and that's been the case for decades, but the rate of actual symptoms is pretty low. You have every likelihood that your dog will live a normal, happy, healthy life.

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