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The American Chesapeake Club (ACC) Board of Directors and the ACC Health Committee approved the following Health Statement for Chesapeake Bay Retrievers: The ACC Board of Directors strongly recommends that all breeding stock be free of Hip/Elbow Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) in addition to all hereditary eye diseases, Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC), and Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) –tested Normal or otherwise.The above health statement was proposed by our ACC Health Committee then approved by the ACC Board of Directors on September 11, 2016, (ACC Board Motion 16:39). In 2023, the Health Committee recommended the Board approve using the Purina Parent Club Partnership donor Advised Fund to help fund new research regarding the drug Riluzole. These funds are held by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and are part of a grant just awarded. This grant is funding research that offers hope for slowing the progression of DM in dogs.
Investigators will study the drug riluzole as a potential treatment for dogs with DM. , this medication has been shown to help humans with ALS which most closely resembles DM in canines.
Investigators started Project DM which is a network of canine DM researchers working together to accelerate progress in developing treatments for this disease. If you are interested in helping with the study and located near the University of Missouri you can have your pet screened by going to the following link https://redcap.link/riluzoleDM and selecting the University of Missouri to enter your information to participate. The other research centers are The Ohio State University, North Carolina State University and Tufts University.