Welcome to the Corgi Corner! We started a new series that is posted on the first Saturday of every month! These posts will help spread education and awareness on topics like general dog care, corgi specific things, medical care, health facts, etc. This month’s Corgi Corner post will be all about Degenerative Myelopathy! Degenerative myelopathy, also known as DM, is a progressive degenerative disorder of the spinal cord. It is the equivalent of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in humans. The nerves that control the hind limbs are the first to degenerate and it slowly progresses forward. While it is a painless disease, quality of life can be greatly affected as it leads to paralysis and eventually will lead to death. Affected dogs do not usually show signs of DM until they are at least 8 years old. The most common clinical signs are knuckling over, back muscle wasting, and gait abnormalities. The dog may scuff the tops of their hind paws, or walk with a hesitant, exaggerated gait. As the disease progresses, the dog may have difficulty standing, buckling, and eventually become unable to walk. In the late stages, the weakness may extend to the front limbs, and the dog may experience urinary and fecal incontinence. Definitive diagnosis requires microscopic analysis of the spinal cord after death. However, vets use clues such as genetic testing, breed, age, and other diagnostics to determine if DM is the most likely cause of the dog’s clinical signs. The diagnosis of DM can be a challenging, often time-consuming endeavor, requiring many tests before a definitive diagnosis is made. At this time, there is no cure or specific treatment for DM. As dogs are seniors at the time of onset, the treatment for DM is aimed towards increasing their comfort through a combination of lifestyle changes, medication, and physical therapy. It is very important to avoid obesity and to keep the dog as physically active as possible for as long as possible, so diet and exercise are vital parts of treatment. The degenerative myelopathy mutation, SOD-1, was first identified in Pembroke Welsh Corgis, but it has been identified in more than 24 different breeds, including Cardigan Welsh Corgis, German Shepherds, Boxers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, and Bernese Mountain Dogs. DM is a genetic disease and it is 100% preventable with genetic testing and reputable breeding practices. Reputable breeders will test their parent dogs prior to breeding to see if they are clear of DM (no copies of the mutated gene), a carrier (1 copy of the mutated gene), or at high risk of DM (2 copies of the mutated gene). They will also provide proof of this to any potential new puppy parents. Unfortunately, even with the ability to do genetic testing, DM is still a very common disease seen in corgis because of irresponsible breeding practices by backyard breeders and puppy mills.