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When is Sm usually detected in a dog?

Battie4

Well-known member
Hi I was just wondering when is Sm usually diagnosed in a dog? Like is there a certain age where SM signs will start to show? Cause from what Ive read SM is suppose to be a hereditary disease so I was just wondering if at like 1 year or something dogs start to show symptoms.
 
Have you looked at Karlin's 'Sticky: Site Resources on SM' thread posted near the top of this SM and MVD forum? Great links with lots of excellent information! :flwr: :flwr:
 
Dr Clare Rusbridge, widely considered the leading authority on this condition, thinks more severe forms of symptomatic SM generally show in a dog between 6 months to 3 years, but the signs can be easily misdiagnosed and some dogs won;t have the more common signs such as scratching/air scratching. Hence something like limb weakness might go undetected except by a neurologist doing a proper clinical exam.

The youngest dog Clare has diagnosed from symptoms was 12 weeks but I know of people who had young pups diagnosed who said they showed those same symptoms at 7-8 weeks so some will show very young. Clare notes on her intro to SM fact sheet (on the SM site noted above; link is also in my sig below) that a dog can start to show symptoms at any age, as well. But most dogs that have more severe forms of symptomatic SM will show signs by age three, most neurologists feel.
 
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