Degenerative Myelopathy in Dogs
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- Опубліковано 23 жов 2020
- Dr. Lera talks about degenerative myelopathy in dogs with Barkley, a 14-year-old mix dog.
Degenerative Myelopathy is a debilitating disease that causes gradual paralysis in many dog breeds. It is caused by a degeneration of the spinal cord that onsets typically between 8 and 14 years of age. It presents first with the loss of coordination of the hind legs. It will typically worsen over six months to a year, resulting in paralysis of the hind legs. If signs progress for a longer period of time, loss of urinary and fecal continence may occur and eventually, weakness will develop in the front limbs. An important feature of Degenerative Myelopathy is that it is not a painful disease. (source: ofa.org)
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After going through this, No more pets, too painful
Same, this disease is soul crushing
@@ArnabMitraSaltLakeCity Sadly it is
It is a cruel disease. We lost two perfectly healthy dogs to this. We lost them within a year of each other. One an Aussie and the other our big Rottie. It was gut wrenching to be so helpless. There needs to be more research to improve quality and life expectancy.
@@crazeedogsI'm so sorry. It sure is. One option is to not breed a dog that has the gene that could lead to any puppies getting this cruel disease.
@@zythr9999 we adopted our boys from shelters so I'm sure whoever bred them didn't care about what happened to them. No dog should have to go this way. We tried every possible thing to help them.
Thanks for posting!
My 10yo aussie and I are on our 11month battle with DM. I feel very grateful as I read approx 6 months after diagnosis it will be near time to say goodbye, luckily she has yet to be in much discomfort.
Things we use everyday:
Gingerlead harness (Made in U.S.A!!)
Lions mane, Chaga and Reishi mushroom extract.
Cannabidiol (CBD oil)
Massages- shoulders especially get super tight (just youtube it!)
Stay positive, you got this.
Sending love,
Koda and Alyssa
Thank you so much for sharing. Please let me know brands your are using and where to purchase. I hope your dog is still doing well.
@@evabrechtel4321 She is still with us and doing quite well! Since I made the post she has lost quite a bit of muscle mass on her hind legs, and is now zero weight bearing on the back. We use the gingerlead to go outside for pee breaks and to get around. I bought the gingerlead and the walkin'wheels chair online at handicapped pets Canada website. You can get the mushroom extracts at most health food stores. The gingerlead has been most useful for us. I would have to credit swimming and lions mane mushroom to her thankfully slow decline. She was diagnosed February of 2020. If I can offer any more info on our experience, let me know.
Alyssa+Koda
@@alyssam3125 Thank you so much! I hope to start my sweet dog on the mushrooms tomorrow. My dog doesn't like being in water and she is part lab! I am also going to try to stimulate the pressure points to help her spine. A saw a UA-cam from a holistic vet. I'm going to look it up and come back here to post in case you are interested to see what he says.
@@alyssam3125 ua-cam.com/video/0lRSDXdUriw/v-deo.html
@@evabrechtel4321 thats great, thank you!
Great video guys! Thank you for everything you do for the dogs and cats in your community!
Thank YOU!
I have a 14.5 pug female and we have been a team since Jolly Molly was 8 weeks old. She has always been by my side traveling and in business. She has this diagnosis and is still able to wobble on the front lawn to get busy but must be carried up and down stairs. She also is losing her vision, hearing, has other issues daily slight cough collapsed trachea (spent thousands months ago deep goose cough 24-7 son is radiologist for people diagnosed Molly with bacterial pneumonia put on correct meds and healed). Today she eats and drinks I carry her to bowls and she still has a loud bark clear when she wants to be with me if I’m upstairs and she is down. She’s my elderly girl and I feel a complete responsibility to her one day at a time and she is in no pain. I sacrifice my sleep daily and life as it was and I will continue to care and love her until the time has come and she will let me know. I’m reading this today as her rear legs shot up straight in a spasm which lasted a minute and scary and hope this doesn’t become a regular incident.
Sorry to hear this. I had a DNA test on my pup years ago and they notified me that my pup had the genes to DM. As of late, he is showing symptoms and is losing his hind legs strength. So far he seems okay but just preparing myself. I feel so bad for the guy but as you stated, we’re in this together.
Thanks for posting! Good insight here.
My old boy had this, we fought it for about 3 years. It's heartbreaking
Yes it is
My dog just showed the first sign of this today😰 was there anytbing you did to treat him or any advice you can give me if any, I don’t want my dog to suffer. Did you have to put your dog down?
How do they go to the bathroom once it progresses.
Our poor boys didnt make it past a year with this disease. They were only 12 years old and healthy in every other way. I'm sorry fpr anyone that goes through this with their dog.
My Border Collie has had this for the last few years. We probably first noticed it when he was like 9 years old and he's 12 now. Sometimes it looks like lack of balance, sometimes his hind legs give out when he's going up the stairs, but he seems happy and not in pain, so that's good
Has it progressed a lot from 9 to 12? I read that progression is fast like 6 to 9 months before partial paralysis?😢
@@chrismorrison7 it has been slow progress for him. He has good days and bad days. On bad days, he often can't get up without assistance and on good days, he can walk ok, but he is still full of life and happy for being 12 and a half years old
The best thing I have personally seen to help with palliative DM treatment besides PT is acupuncture. It doesn't work for every dog the same, but one of my patients had DM and was very unstable upon standing. The day after acupuncture, the dog was running around the yard as stable as it could be. It was astonishing and unexpected. It easily bought us an extra 8 months to the dogs lifespan. Definitely something work looking into.
Just put my 11 year-old very much alive GSD to rest today. Lost control of the bladder, developed infection, had enlarged testicles and still wanted to play ball.
Started developing DM that was noticeable at the point he was losing control of his left leg a year ago.
It's been an emotional rollercoaster as the dog is my partner.
Really educative. thanks alot
Glad it was helpful, thanks for watching!
This video was informative, thank you. My 9 year old female GS has an appointment in two weeks with a veterinary neurologist. Her symptoms are consistent with DM. I am getting myself prepared for such a diagnosis.
Hope everything went well!
@@sinib.6904 thank you! Turns out she has disc issues. Treatable with steroids and rest. We feel incredibly lucky.
@@colleenavedikian7612 , how did the vet come to that conclusion?
@@Dogandcatmom51how did the vet come to that conclusion? 😅
I'm curious to know if DM can be caused or have any relation to vitamin D deficiency from keeping your dog inside for the majority of its life.
My german shepherd who is 11 years old has been dignosed with DM. Under my supervison & support, is it okay for him to climb stairs? Will climbing stairs function as an exercise? I am already taking him to hydrotheraphy & physiotherapy sessions but was wondering if there are additional exercises I could do at home to improve his mobility
Thanks for the video buddy 👍 I'm dealing with this now on my dog Bigfoot he is almost 14 years old and over a hundred pounds and he can't walk on his hind legs..he is very heavy for me but I will keep on taking care of him to keep him with me he is in pallative care for cancer and has been almost a year now..
You may also want to look into stem cell therapy. I tried it on 120lb lab with nerve disease and weakness in her back legs and it may be helping .
@@DrLera thanks alot for the notification buddy 👍 I don't want to give him up he is so special he and Arnold bigfoot is on the left side of my profile picture he is a pit bull mixed and Arnold is a beagle and he just turned 10 years old Xmas day he is extremely overweight due to thyroidism and he has to loose 19 pounds and get down to 60 pounds before he gets diabetic..
Our dog started limping on his back legs for probably the last 6 months or so. Within the last 3 or 4 weeks, he has started falling a lot. It seems like his front legs just give out on him. Within the last few days, he is having trouble even picking himself up off the ground, he tries to get up, but just isn't able to actually do it. The Vet said this is probably DM, the paperwork says his diagnosis is DM of the hind quarters. I was wondering, since this hasn't become an issue until it affected his front paws, why the diagnosis said "hind quarters" and if this is just a common occurrence with dogs that have DM? Do their front legs always start to give out too? Thank you for your time and consideration.
DM starts from the back and works it way up front. When it affects the front , the animal is completely paralyzed and sadly it's a matter of time before death .
Has anyone had any luck using N-acetyl Glucosamine? My 6 year old GSD has just been diagnosed. I am using Welactin as well. My vet said to make sure she gets lots of exercise.
My 14 year old Boxer has similar symptoms. He’s become really wobbly over the past 6 months and it’s really progressing the last month. He also has an arch in his spine so I’m not sure if it’s Degenerative myopathy or something else.
Please get it checked out soon. My grandma thought her Boston terrier hurt himself and was injured but it turns out he has this. His back legs hardly work they’re like stilts he can sort of move. he’s basically dragging himself around. He’s 10
@@lufa7886 he progressed pretty quickly after first symptoms. I had to put him to sleep in March, just 6 months after symptoms first started showing…. Unfortunately there’s nothing that can be done for it… ☹️
What about Vit B 12 which is involved in neuron regrowth?
Dr Lera, when is it time to let them go? This is causing many arguments in our home.
As tough as it may sound, one usually knows/feels when 'it's time'. When there is no more quality of life is usually the answer.
Does it also cause issues with swallowing? My 14 yr old Rottie has been having issues with his hind legs. Xray shows mild hip displaycia and arthritist so vet suspects DM. I just starred noticing this week that he doesnt have full control of front paws and has suddenly started to gag a lot these last 2 days otherwise he’s doing ok.
Yes, it effects their ability to swallow.
Look up GOLPP. I don’t know a lot about it except there’s something with hind end weakness and something with the larynx.
Got the diagnosis today :(
My dogs has severe pain in the hind legs but has no hip dysplasia. The doctor ruled out the same after looking at the x ray. My question is can DM be painful?
Not usually.
No, not painful, They just lose the ability in the hind legs and it can eventually move to the front legs. In a way, it is similar to Dementia in humans
My dog Samson just had been diagnosed with degenerated disc disease on March 9,2022. Is it fatal to dog?
This is also known as intervertebral disc disease (ivdd). You may find more info when searching it that way. We actually have a few videos on this condition. It depends on the severity. 70% are able to be managed with steroids (3 to 4 weeks) and restricted activity(6 to 8 weeks)
My 11 year old GSD is weakening a bit in the back legs but is constantly pooping in the house. Like right after going outside and peeing outside. Can anything be done?
If I push on his legs or back and he shows signs of pain, does that rule out DM?
I recently found out that my dog that I rescued has the genetics for this disease. He is 18 months and runs like a rabbit. My vet is aware but wanted to know if I should start with water exercises? Any suggestions?
Read up on it, best you found out when you did.
Ours too, same situation, rescue Canero, he is 7 mos
My 15yo chi was diagnosed with this just yesterday, anyone in chat with advice?? It would be greatly appreciated
How’s it going?
@@titonothere6179 it’s a struggle, she now has seizures every so often. She eats well and mostly in high spirits
@@amymamabear5227 awww. I hope the best for you guys.. give your pup the best day of their life every day
My boxer is almost 12 and she is losing weight, doesn’t eat as much as she was and she has a hard time getting up from laying down. She also walks weird like hip dysphasia but the vet said it isn’t hip dysplasia. She said my boxer has thick arthritis on her spine and is likely in “severe pain” daily. It broke my heart. Idk whether I should put her down or not. She is still pretty active but if she has a long day or exercise, the next day she can hardly move. I feel it’s too soon to put her to sleep but my husband says we should since the vet said she’s in “severe pain”. She doesn’t cry or whine. Any suggestions anyone?
I would agree with you that I do think it is too soon. Based on what you're describing that being said I would look at having her on something to manage the pain like gabapentin and potentially having her on some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory like galliprant. Both these medications are prescription and will require you either getting them from your veterinarian or getting a prescription from your veterinarian. You are veterinarian would be the one who is best suited to make for the recommendations. Or confirm what I'm thinking would be a good idea since they are the ones that are actually seeing your dog
My 14 year old Boxer has similar symptoms. Does yours have an arch in her spine?
Is it fatal to the dogs?
I didn't know Jared Leto was a Veterinarian!?
😂😂😂
What happens when your dog is good one day and the next day there back legs looses strength and can't get up on his back legs
This just happed to our 5 year old Bernese Mtn dog. He had been struggling a bit to get up, but he is also a very big boy170lbs (not overweight). Just had him at the vet to check on that. Referred to orthopedic dr. That night he slipped on the stairs at bedtime and the next morning seemed to have lost control of back legs. Took him to the orthopedist that day and they pretty much ruled out physical issues, but did not diagnose DM. No pain, but extremely limited mobility. This is very hard.
i have a 9 year old male pit being put down on saturday because of this
I’m sorry
My pit has it at 13 years 10 months. I'm currently looking to get her a wheelchair.