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This is a quick and brief synopsis of the breeding expectations for various combinations of Degenerative Myelopathy DNA test results. In time this page will be cleaned up, and updated with more information on DM.
The number of each gene a Boxer gets determines its DM risk. The normal gene is dominant, which means that any time a dog has even one normal gene, it is very unlikely to ever develop DM. A dog with two copies of the mutated gene is more likely to develop DM; however this is not a foregone conclusion and there are other factors involved in the expression of the condition.
This dog has two copies of the normal gene. It will not develop DM and will not produce puppies that will be at risk for DM, regardless of the DM status of the dogs to which it is bred.
This dog has two copies of the mutated gene. It is at risk of developing DM - though not guaranteed to do so. It may produce puppies at risk for DM, if bred to a Carrier or At Risk individual.
This dog has one copy of the normal gene, and one copy of the mutated gene. It is highly unlikely that this dog will ever develop DM. It may produce puppies at risk for DM, if bred to a Carrier or At Risk individual.
Again, at risk dogs only have a risk of developing DM, they are not guaranteed to do so. Current test results show that about 50% of the breed is at risk, with another 35% carriers - we cannot at this point afford to eliminate all non-clear dogs, or even all at risk dogs, from our breeding programs. Our goal, instead, should be to slowly work reduce the number of at risk dogs - over several generations - and at the same time increase the number of clear dogs. This is something that will likely take decades, not years, for anything like a "nearly rid of DM" status, simply because DM is so widespread, there are so many questions about what "at risk" really means, and heart issues are so much more important and should be where our focus lies for now.
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