Nobody answered my last post so i will try again does anyone own or has owned a dog with myopathy i got this dog from an accredited breeder.

http://www.gsdhelp.info/neuro/fibroticmyopathy.html

Is this what your dog has?  If so, I am at a loss to understand the issue with the breeder?

I have never come across Myopathy and as you say there is nothing to suggest it is a problem anyone could be aware off and therefore not the breeders fault at all, just unfortunate. On the other hand the OP may mean CDRM but who am I to say they made such an error, if that is what was meant then I would think a good few may have experience of this sad condition

the proper name is mitochondrial myopathy vet said that it was heridatory in my book that has something to do with a breeder, i have tried all sorts painkillers remedies so far i have had the best results from a magnetic collar and a drug called plt had to sign a disclaimer from the vet as she will eventually go into heart failure was only supposed to take drugs for two weeeks been on them for quite sometime now just wondered any super drugs i dont know about that do not induce heart failure

Just looked that up but not found it in relation to canines - I take it there is a test for canine carriers perhaps you would be kind enough to tell us about it as I for one have never come across it. If there is no test them you can't really blame the breeder as they may not have known particularly if it is late onset.

PLT is prenoleucotropin ( not sure of spelling), a very old fashioned but quite useful drug, often nicknamed "poorly leg tablet" as it is prescribed for leg problems. The "P" is prednisilone, a steroid but only 1mg per tablet. I have no idea why you would have been asked to sign a disclaimer as it has been used on some dogs for a very long time. Like all drugs, it has its place and sometimes we have no option but to use these drugs to keep our animals pain free. My Golden has been on it for almost a year (she has some undiagnosed neurological condition) and apart from a thinning coat, she does really well on it. She is 13. In the "good ol' days" it used to cost 1p a tablet. My vet now charges me £1 a tablet! Cheaper on line. I have NEVER heard that it may induce heart failure. I will research your dog's condition from interest but good luck.

Have a dog on Pred. at the moment, think the main thing is to withdraw them in a controlled reduction and never to just stop their use. They are as you say a steroid and as such often cause increased thirst and an insatiable appetite. Have in the past used them to break the scratch/itch cycle and in this instance to attempt to stop the licking of an infected sore, (unsuccessful) but will still have to continue for another week to reduce the input over a long enough period. I have not heard that it has caused problems with the heart either although the actual condition may. And no I have never had to sign a disclaimer perhaps the OP is not in the UK.

I have just Googled your dog's condition and feel very sad for you & your dog. However, I don't think that blame can be directed at the breeder. It seems like just one of those things that can happen and unless/until a genetic marker for mitrochondrial myopathy in dogs is identified and breeders CAN try to eliminate the condition in that way, sadly it may affect a dog occasionally. It does sound a rare condition which, I appreciate, does not make it any easier for you & your girl. It reads to me as though it would not be the PLT which induces heart failure but potentially the condition itself. Not a vet though, just giving a layman's opinion.

Sorry to hear about what you have been going through.

It might be worth you contacting someone from the GSD Owners Information Group (http://www.cermar.co.uk/GSD_Owners_Info.htm.) Their website is self explanatory but they do a wonderful job and are bang up to date with all the latest research appertaining to the breed.

Just a note on PLT's, I have used them on two GSD's, both times for a number of years, without any side effects whatseover.

Thankyou all i learned something my vet covering his ass incase i sue him me thinks, i am sure he said it was the tablets that can induce heart failure,  i know the condition can, i gonna ring him in a bit pick his brain somemore all the vets were intrigued when it was diagnosed ,that was long time coming tho painkillers after painkillers injections,steroids, x-rays, biopsy and lost count on blood tests ,something they had never seen before i have to be honest they have been good and i am still under the impression that it is heradatory gosh i don't think i spelled that right.i knew the plt was an old drug but you know what they say the old ones are the best ones and it has been infact it is the only drug and trust me we have had a few that has improved her mobility and mood.Thankyou

Hereditary conditions are a minefield for breeders, first there are loads of problems that may be breed specific and therefore likely to be hereditary but there is no true way of knowing how the condition is passed and even if it were known without tests to sort the carriers from the clear and with late onset the sufferers from the healthy there will be incredibly slow progress.

Once a particular dog is diagnosed as a sufferer then all animals in the line should be withdrawn from the breeding program if no tests are available but if the illness does not show its self till the dog is 4 or 5 then there may be hundreds of animals that should be withdrawn from breeding and to achieve that is almost impossible if only for the reason that you are being told you can't breed your dog because of a diagnosis made by a vet you have never heard of - it is not as if vets never make mistakes.

Some of the canine health problems are now able to be tested for and hopefully with the help of responsible breeders these will eventually be eradicated but we have a long way to go before the tests for most conditions are available and even further before people are responsible enough to not breed from animals that may pass on a known condition.