My dog suffers from degenerative myelopathy. Anyone have any ideas on how to help?

Question

I'm not very educated on this disease but the doctor assures me that he is in no pain. The Rimadyl and corticosteroids aren't doing much to help him. He is very happy and still tries to play but it breaks my heart to watch his hindquarters sway from side to side when he is walking or running. He is my boyfriends retired K-9 unit dog and I love him to pieces. I am not ready to put him down. Not until he isn't happy anymore. The doctor says he is 100% healthy other than that. Does anyone know of any other treatment that may help him get some of his mobility back?

Answer 1

I have an almost 12 year old German Shepherd Dog with the same condition.

Unfortunately, like MS in humans, you may be able to slow it down with the meds, but you can't stop it. It is heartbreaking, to say the least.

I just obtained a "wheelchair" for my dog. We got it yesterday, so we haven't tried it on him yet. We're going to start working with him on Saturday. If you google dog wheelchair, you will find a couple of companies that make them. They're not cheap, but worth it for quality of life.

Unlike people who have the mindset "dammit, I'm stuck in this f'ing wheelchair", a dog's outlook is "WOOHOO! I CAN RUN AGAIN! LOOK AT ME GO!!"

Best wishes to your family and your dog. This is not easy to deal with.

Your vet is right. He isn't hurting. You'll know when it's "time", and dogs can live with DM for years and be perfectly happy dogs, especially if they have assistive equipment.

Answer 2

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. As far as I know, there is no effective treatment for dogs with degenerative myelopathy (which is why it's called 'degenerative'...my understanding of it is that is has many similarities with MS in humans), but things like exercise may help slow the disease progression. If you are able to swim him for a short time every day or every other day he would probably really benefit from it, as it will slow down the muscle wastage associated with DM.

As long as he's happy, you're doing alright. Your vet is almost certainly right when s/he says he's not in pain. One thing to keep an eye on though is his toes - part of the disease is something called loss of conscious proprioception- basically it means that he doesn't know where his back feet are, so if he's not doing it already he will likely start to scuff the nails and the tops of his feet...doggy boots may be an idea for him if this happens.

Hope that is of some help and sorry I couldn't give you anything more positive.

Answer 3

Hi Cali!!
Degenerative myelopathy it is a slowly progressive loss of coordination in the hind limbs, with increasing weakness. This occurs because of deterioration of structures in the spinal cord that are responsible for conduction of nerve impulses (specifically the loss of myelin and degeneration of axons in the white matter). Although the changes may be found anywhere in the spinal cord, they are most severe in the lower back (thoracolumbar) region.

The cause of these changes is not known. Look article: http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/What_Is_Degenerative_Myelopathy/

Your veterinarian will suggest ways to help you adjust to your dog's gradually increasing limitations, and to recognize the point at which euthanasia becomes the best option. This is usually within a year of the initial diagnosis, when your dog is no longer able to walk.

Some believe that treatment with a combination of increased exercise, vitamin supplementation and aminocaproic acid can slow the progression of this disease (see Clemmons recommends), but controlled studies have not been carried out that demonstrate this.

PS - The Clemmons recommends - look article: http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/The_Integrative_Medical_Approach_To_Treatment_Of_Degenerative_Myelopathy/
- The treatment of DM involves four basic approaches:
1) exercise,
2) dietary supplementation,
3) medication,
4) other supportive measures.
Jason Homan

Answer 4

Ask your veterinarian if their are any vets in your area that offer hydrotherapy (water exercise) This will help keep up his muscle strength. You may also want to consider seeing a veterinary neurologist for their recommendations. Like the other poster said, you need to keep eye on his back feet to make sure he is not damaging them while walking. Good luck

Heres an example of the hydrotherapy
http://www.unionlakepets.com/html/__rehabilitation_center.html