Does anyone have experience of this in Border Collies/Working Sheepdogs please?

CDRM?

No, not come across it all all fortunately, just in GSDs and I've not known any personally.  If it's in collies we need to know about it so more details please!

I was asking in case it might be something that was affecting my rescue collie but he saw the vet and the chiro and they both said no. He was pts in March because of his Epilepsy.

I don't know if it's in collie lines or not, I suspect not as I haven't heard of any with it and collies are generally long lived. However, for anyone worried about it, there is a simple cheek swab dna test from laboklin that can let you know if a dog carries this gene.

sadly epilepsy IS something that is in collies :-(

Definitely, Penny. I have a 13.5 year old epileptic and have just lost my (barely) 5 year old to it. Seems to be a lot of it around at the moment (sorry, making it sound like a cold but you know what I mean).

there's a breeder around here who's produced lots :-( unfortunately they discovered agility people after the farmers got wise to them.... I've heard they tell pet people that 'pups always do that' (ie fit) shocking... I know a lot of people who now have epileptic dogs or who've lost epileptic dogs :-(

If you know of an epileptic BC PLEASE ask their owner to consider submitting a sample (I believe a cheek swab) and a pedigree for research into finding a gene. This has all the info  http://www.pbhf-dog.com/current_research.html

I'd like to add to the link given in the previous post ... the AHT aren't just collecting samples from BCs with epilepsy. They also need samples from dogs that are not epileptic and are over 7 years of age :-) Obviously they need to compare affected with unaffected DNA - info given in the blurb the link takes you to!

Unfortunately we have just come across CDRM in  our 14 yr old male Merle collie. In retrospect and after much internet research, we recognise that this has been developing for some years. Our Vet identified it and all the classic symptoms in about 2 minutes. We sought help as he (our dog)  has started to be faecal incontinent. The other symptoms we observed were put down to arthritis, hip dysplasia (he had a hip replaced 8 years ago). How wrong we all were! But as this is rare in collies we had no knowledge of the condition. It seems there must have been a genetic link somewhere along the line? Sadly we now have to warch and wait whilst making his life as bearable as possible. Some comfort in knowing he has no pain

so sorry to hear this, would you share the details of his pedigree with other collie owners?  It seems another thing we all have to worry about :-(  Of course it could be a 'one off' and caused by something, even from his surgery - I don't know if your vet can throw any light - but we should bear it in mind when putting dog's pedigrees 'together'.

I wish we could look into his pedigree, but he was a re-homing. We asked our vet about the surgery and were told an emphatic no! Our vet, who seemed very clued up on this condition in GSDs, told us that he had personally never come across it in a Border Collie in his 30+ years of experience. I hope for all our sakes that it is a one off!

ok thanks for this, it could well be just a genetic 'one off' but so sorry it's had to be your boy :-(

Many years ago I had a Rough Collie bitch who had this . Also knew of 1 BMD who had to be PTS at a young age suffering with this condition. The one "good" thing about this condition is that the dog is in no pain, but it is a progressive illness so usually outcome is not good.... Sorry.!

So, a few weeks on and the advanced stages of this condition progressed very rapidly. We had to make the decision to PTS. After 13 years we count ourselves fortunate in having had such a super dog. Yes, it hurts like hell, and we have to make sure his pack mates cope with the loss of their boss (after the wife, of course). We have had many private e-mails and messages, for which we give our sincere thanks!

so sorry to hear this :-(