Degenerative Myelopathy in Dogs
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- Опубліковано 3 тра 2024
- Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a slowly progressive neurological disease of the spine in dogs. Degeneration means deterioration. Myelopathy is any problem with the spinal cord. So, degenerative myelopathy means deterioration of the spinal cord.
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#DegenerativeMyelopathy
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Causes
01:01 Clinical Signs
01:57 Diagnosis
03:14 Treatment - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
I had a boxer that suffered an accident, started showing signs 4 months later, I had a chiropractor coming to my house to adjust her spine every month, put her down a year later, hardest thing ever, she was 11 years old...I cried a river.
I will always miss my Dora.
i had a corgi who passed away last year who had this. and i have another corgi who is getting put down soon due to DM as well. i’m 20 years old and i’ve had these dogs since i was 6 and 8. i consider them my childhood dogs. it’s incredibly hard to say goodbye. i know i gave them everything i could though.
We know how difficult it is to lose a four-legged member of the family. They'll always hold a special place in your heart. Sending you lots of strength during this difficult time. ❤️
I've decided to put my DM corgi down next month. Last night, he was peeing blood, so I took him to the vet, and they found that he has a stone. The vet said there isn't much point in surgery, as he is already 14 years old and can no longer move. It's so hard to make such a decision because he is still eating normally and looks very normal. My friend says if he's still eating, it means he still has the desire to live. I understand what he means, but it makes the decision even harder for me.
I want him to be comfortable, and I want him to believe he's just "sleeping" next to us, so I will put him down at home. Maybe it's lucky that he'll pass earlier than us humans, so he won't feel any abandonment.
Our boxer dealt with this. It was very difficult to watch and deal with. Luckily some wheels were donated for her, to extend her life. She was the sweetest girl and my wife and I still miss her dearly. She'll be gone 6 years this December.
Thanks for the presentation. My prayers for those facing this condition in their fur baby. I wonder if there are any studies looking at monoclonal antibodies in treatment or slowing down disease progression.
My beautiful German Shepherd was diagnosed with this when he was 12 , we got him doggy wheels but we lost him a year later.
I've never been able to get another GS.
I feel you man but the need our help we cant let them down there anothe rone scared and alone when youre ready
@@grayc636 I've two Shihtzus now and one gets anxious around bigger dogs , but maybe when I'm blessed to move to a bigger Home I'll be Blessed to have another if my anxious girl will accept 🙏
My Airedale just passed with this disease. Our young regular veterinarian did not diagnose this. But our Veterinarian who moved away nailed it over the phone. I only wish we could have done more.
Thank you for this article.
what more can you do more when its a degenerative disorder that progresses? Not being a jerk. My 9 yr old just got diagnosed and Im super sad. Genuinely curious.
Breeders are now reputably breeding german shepherds (and other breeds who are known for this disease) without the DM gene. As our neurologist advised, the only way this disease can be defeated is by NOT allowing the breeding of dogs who have the DM gene(s). There are responsible breeders out there who are breeding responsibly. Seek them out. I personally don’t know of any but they do exist and are out there.
Thank you for this. My pup was just diagnosed yesterday and I am devastated - but knowing what to expect is helping a little.
Sorry to hear that. Glad you found the information useful. ❤️
There's a helpful group on Facebook that is so helpful. It's called "Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) awareness group". My dog Mimi has it, she's a Boxer/Lab mix, we are almost at the end of the road. How old is your dog?
@@cherylmillard2067 thank you so much! I will go join :) my dog is 9.5 - he’s a pit/Boston terrier mix. We are near the beginning of his journey
@@catoe06 You can say I sent you, I have a different profile picture, I have red hair. We are at the end of ours, it started in 2021. Spend your money on bucket list quality of life things.
My husky boxer is almost 4 and came from the shelter with questionable walking patterns. We took him to many vets and eventually a specialist. He was diagnosed with DM 1.5 years ago. He comes to work at a farm with me and tries his hardest to keep up with playing with the other dogs. This is so sad to watch. So slow and so debilitating 😢
Thanks to this video I was finally able to figure out exactly what my dog has. Our regular vet was never able to figure out a diagnosis. I'm not sure what stage my dog is at. Last year he was still able to walk slightly but would walk almost drunkenly and fall over. This year he's completely lost mobility in his backlegs and having difficulties pooping/pushing. We got him a wheelchair and that has actually been helping him walk with the strength of his front legs but lately it seems like he doesn't want to be in that wheelchair for long anymore. His head hunches down when we walk him with the wheelchair and his backlegs are permanently crossed. Sometimes he spends every waking moment yelping and barking uncontrollably and we aren't able to figure out if it's from pain or anything else. I don't know what else I can for my 11 year old furry friend. I don't even know if I'm supposed to put him down or if I should let him stay with us longer. Do you happen to have any advice for this?
Hey there!
First of all, I am so sorry your beloved dog and you as his owner have to go through this. Speaking from experience I know how difficult it can become over time. Often it's hard to watch, knowing you can't stop the disease and there's no cure.
My German Sheperd was diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy around two years ago and lived until the end stage of it. Every owner and its dog have different circumstances. If you aren't financially capable to invest in expensive treatments or don't have the possibility to consult a specialist, that's totally fine!
For my dog we had the privilege to see a specialist and receive a proper diagnosis early on. We were extremely lucky to have a very compassionate and experienced veterinarian by our side until the very end.
It's extremely important to realize if you're dog is clearly in pain or not. Degenerative Myelopathy does not cause any direct pain, but other issues might arise such as incontinence. As soon as our dog was unable to control her bladder, we used every option out there to keep her and her bed clean. Luckily, we were able to afford a proper wheelchair/walking aid and keep her happy and active with walks, playing in the water etc.
No pain, no visible suffering, she didn't mind not being able to stand up or walk on her own. She learned quickly that she can rely on us and is allowed to urinate by accident! We only had to make sure to replace her sheets regularly, it took a lot of effort and patience for sure...
When we got to the point where it was extremely difficult to keep her hygienic and our veterinarian didn't have any solutions left, we all agreed on putting her down before she has to live in very poor conditions. Our only wish was to let her go with dignity.
Not long after the disappointing news the vet gave to us, our dog stopped eating and drinking water completely. We knew that we can't postpone it any longer not even for one more week. We eventually put her to sleep after spending our last weekend with her...🕊️
Your goal is to be able to give your dog a joyful life as long as you can. But under your given circumstances and possibilities! Deep down you know if your dog is still enjoying life or not, it's hard to let go but we have the privilege to give our pet a peaceful and painless goodbye by deciding to put them down. When the bad days overweigh the good days and solutions run out, it's time.
I hope my experiences might help you on your journey with your dog, I'm sure your dog knows how much you care about them and that you're giving your utmost best!
My nephew has a former champion greyhound that is 12 years of age. He started showing weakness in his legs about three years ago, but the last four months it has gotten worst. He drags his hind paws when he goes for walks and he has trouble breathing. He also has had instances where he'll stand up and just start peeing which occurs mostly when I try to take him out for his morning walk. He has an appointment on the 18 of May and I feel the diagnosis will be Degenerative Myelopathy.
I’m not sure if my rotty mix has this. Several months ago, she had surgery to remove a malignant melanoma from her *front* leg, and the day we picked her up from the vet, she had extreme hind leg weakness that she’d never shown before. It got much better as she recovered from the surgery, but she never fully recovered her hind leg strength. She started knuckling one paw when squatting to pee (and occasionally when walking too fast would scrape that foot) and having trouble standing up on tile floors, eventually falling into a sitting position until someone could pick her up and criss crossing her legs until she got her bearings again. I always suspected either a spinal injury during her surgery (when she was being moved to/from the operating table) or possibly a spread of the cancer to the spine, but then I read about DM and wondered it if just presented itself coincidentally with her surgery. She suddenly went downhill last week, only being able to walk with heavy assistance. Now she won’t even help me sit her up or stand her up and refuses food. She went from just having trouble on tile floors to bedridden in just one week. Maybe it’s multiple things converging at once.
Question, dogs that have DM early stages where their back legs are weakening, this can affect them being able to pee/poop? How can dog owners help with them being able to do their necessities? 😢
My beloved Boxer, Ali, was diagnosed with DM in November 2022. It is a very sad condition, no cure, no medicine to stop the progression. Aminocaprocic acid and Vitamin E may slow the DM down. These medications have not worked for my Ali. Taking it day by day.
What did they do to diagnose your boxer? I have a 9 years old boxer with weaken hind legs. Did you see a neurologist?
Thank you so much for this video. Going through it right now with my boxer. Back legs don’t work at all. Bought a wheelchair on Amazon and rigged it up to be perfect.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad to hear that the video has been helpful for you and your boxer.
I have a Rhodesian Ridgback mix. He's only 50lbs however. Just yesterday he showed symptoms and this morning he can't walk at all. We got him a toy for Christmas that he loved but he chewed it to shreds so I threw it out. Is it possible he has something stuck in his gut that has the same symptoms? I don't have any money to go to the vet....
My Dog had this disease she lived about 16 months. I wish it was a cure i really miss her😢
My pet parson jack Russell is suffering thru it. We have rubber booties for traction but very hard for him to climb the stairs, looses balance when pooing and wobbles to urinate on posts. He is a fighter but we dread to see the progression. He is going to be 12 in Oct 2023. 😊
Hello,
We are so sorry to hear your pet is going through this. It sounds like you're doing everything you can for him and he is lucky to have you :)
@@SEVNeurology we have recently been giving him special vitamin chewy to strengthen his hips and hind legs. Will wait and see for improvements .Praise God he is not in any pain 🙏
I think one of my elderly Border collies has this or something that causes the same symptoms. Knuckling (Mostly on one leg than the other), rear end weakness...can appear like she's a bit drunk. She is also incontinent now too. She is 15 years and 10 months mind so she has lived longer than a lot of dogs out there. She still enjoys some things in life but she struggles more and more. I know her time is coming close....:(
Hello is there a way international vet students can intern at your referral centre?
Hello there. Yes, please reach out to Mayra at MayraH@sevneurology.com for more information.
@@SEVNeurology thanks
One day our dog's back legs went a little bit weak then we applied some tick medicine because she had lot of ticks . The treatments that we did before weren't worked as much as we wanted then the day after that day she had a difficult with her breathing and while we waited for the vet she died. Can you explain it a little bit.??Please tell me a reason for that because she was only 2 years old?????please reply.....
You should ask your vet. There are a lot of things it could have been, including Heartworm, which is going up, especially in the South and Midwest.
My dog is an 11 year old English Golden Retriever and me and my family suspect that she may have DM as she exhibits extremely similar symptoms. The only difference is that she seems to also have pain accompanied with the DM symptoms. Does that rule out DM or could she also be suffering from something else at the same time?
My dachshund has symptoms of dm and he never seemed to be in pain. Recently he was whining and moaning, so the vet gave him arthritis med. After several months I discovered that he had a middle ear infection ! The vets didn’t catch it because it was in the ear tube and blocked by a thick waxy buildup . I noticed it after cleaning the wax out of his ears. After antibiotics, anti fungal med and ear drops he’s finally doing better-but still has symptoms of DM
Four weeks ago, we went to the vet for with my dog's chronic ear infection. We hardly noticed any issue with his back legs but the vet noticed them to be slightly weak.
Today my dog can no longer lift himself up from sitting position and could hardly stand. He has become incontinent with no control over his urination. The deterioration happened so abruptly, we still could not believe it. Is it normal for this to progress from zero to 100 in four weeks?
Degenerative myelopathy is usually slowly progressive over months. There are other conditions that can come on rapidly. What kind of dog (age, breed) do you have? Is he/she painful? If possible, you should see a vet neurologist. Did your vet prescribe medication?
My 16 year old Poppy has this and can barely get up. Last days now
Sending all our love.
@@SEVNeurology thank you. She went to doggy heaven yesterday.
@@Nowhere_Man_1953 thank you. Sorry that your Shepherd is going through the same, I’m sure he is being loved just as much as poppy, take comfort knowing they will be loved and cared for right to the end
Are these animals suffering ??? have a pain ????? Can they feel their legs or tail ??? I have a sitzu/ poodle mix who has this now She appears to be bloating I dont want her suffering she is about 14-15 yrs old,,,Anyone have any answers ???
Degenerative Myelopathy is a presumptive diagnosis.
Definitive diagnosis requires evaluation of spinal cord tissue (eg, post mortem). So yes, many times it’s presumptive. But it can confidently be diagnosed with appropriate signalment (age, breed), history (slowly progressive, insidious onset), exam (non-painful rear limb weakness) and testing (normal MRI, CSF and a genetic test demonstrating the mutation).
@@SEVNeurology Are there cases where dogs have DM and have pain in their rear limbs? My dog exhibits very similar symptoms to DM but she also seems to have pain. Could we be mistaking pain for weakness?
@@connor7048 Typically DM is not a painful condition. If your dog is whimpering, crying, doesn’t want to be touched, holding up a limb, etc then I would be worried about a cause other than DM. Your best bet is to see a veterinary neurologist who can examine your pup and make specific recommendations.
@@SEVNeurology Ok thank you for the reply!