A lot of you already know that for the time being these tests are essentially meaningless for predicting the onset of DCM in a dog. But many newbies don't, or are confused by it, and many people outside the breed will talk like they know but don't actually understand.
I have found out about the passing of another dog, two days ago - collapsed and died instantly during his walk. He was clear for both genes.
Another person I know still has yet to receive any response from Dr Meurs at NCSU for an identical occurrence and it has been months. (Not the first time I've seen it happen either, unfortunately).
Secondly, Embark just updated their linkage test for DCM2 so if you've Embark tested your dog either through the DDP or individually, your results may change. Don't panic. Some of the updated results are still inaccurate, in individuals who had their dogs tested with NCSU prior.
I can only imagine the frustration of those who had been using these results to make breeding decisions... but it's yet another reason why although I believe in contributing to research, as a buyer you should definitely not be relying on the DCM1/DCM2 tests to make decisions on whether someone is/isn't health testing/reputable and whether or not you want to get a puppy from X litter.
I have found out about the passing of another dog, two days ago - collapsed and died instantly during his walk. He was clear for both genes.
Another person I know still has yet to receive any response from Dr Meurs at NCSU for an identical occurrence and it has been months. (Not the first time I've seen it happen either, unfortunately).
Secondly, Embark just updated their linkage test for DCM2 so if you've Embark tested your dog either through the DDP or individually, your results may change. Don't panic. Some of the updated results are still inaccurate, in individuals who had their dogs tested with NCSU prior.
I can only imagine the frustration of those who had been using these results to make breeding decisions... but it's yet another reason why although I believe in contributing to research, as a buyer you should definitely not be relying on the DCM1/DCM2 tests to make decisions on whether someone is/isn't health testing/reputable and whether or not you want to get a puppy from X litter.