This story was updated June 2018.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is one of the most devastating neurological disorders in dogs. It’s a progressive disease caused by the breakdown of the spinal cord. It most often strikes dogs between the ages of 8 – 14, but dogs as young as 5 years-old have been diagnosed as well.
DM is an autoimmune disease that slowly attacks a dog’s central nervous system by killing off the protective coating of the spine called myelin. Without myelin, nerves are unable to communicate with the part of the brain that controls movement.
Dogs become paralyzed in the hind end within 6 months to 1 year. Eventually the paralysis moves to the front limbs and respiratory system.
Until a few years ago, there wasn’t much a veterinarian could offer in the way of treatment. Today Degenerative Myelopathy dogs have new options thanks to researchers who have dedicated their careers to studying the disease.
R.M. Clemmons, DVM, PhD is one of these heroes. Before his retirement as Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Dr. Clemmons worked with DM dogs for more than a decade. His research led to the development of a four-tier plan to manage symptoms and slow the progression of DM.
One of the major components of the plan is a diet that slows the progression of the disease.
Before I share Dr. Clemmons’ diet for DM dogs here are more facts you should know about Degenerative Myelopathy.
First discovered in 1973, DM is a genetic disorder that is comparable to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and Multiple Sclerosis in humans. Dogs with DM show early warning signs of: hind end weakness, stumbling or crisscrossing the back legs, and knuckling or scuffing the rear feet when they walk.
A mutated gene has been identified as the major risk factor for the disease. An easy-to-use DNA test is available from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for owners and breeders. The test is approved for breeds that have been proven to be susceptible to DM though a University of Missouri study.
These breeds include:
- American Eskimo Dogs
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Borzoi
- Boxers
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi
- Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
- German Shepherd Dog
- Golden Retriever
- Great Pyrenees
- Kerry Blue Terriers
- Pembroke Welsh Corgis
- Poodle
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers
- Wire Fox Terrier
Read about Skye’s Story of Degenerative Myelopathy
Here is Dr. Clemmons’ Diet for Dogs with DM
The overall goal of the DM diet is to stabilize the immune system of sick dogs through wholesome and balanced home-cooked food. Processed foods have been eliminated. And scientifically proven vitamins, minerals, and natural herb supplements have been added.
“Diet may have a powerful influence on the development of chronic degenerative diseases and new information suggests that dietary regulation might play a more significant role in the progression and development of diseases like MS,” said Dr. Clemmons. “Elimination of toxins from pre-processed food may assist in preventing a number of immune-related disorders. The current treatment of DM is designed to suppress the immune disease, but does nothing to correct the immune alterations which led to the disease state. Diet might help in correcting this defect and allow the immune system in DM dogs to stabilize.”
It might surprise you to learn the DM diet is not based on large quantities of meat.
“Wild dogs were not big meat eaters” said Dr. Clemmons. “They ate bodies, including intestinal contents often laden with plants and plant materials.”
The Basic DM Diet
This recipe is equivalent to one serving for a 30-50lb dog. It equals 1 can of commercial dog food. Adjust the portions up or down for your dog.
- 2 oz. Boneless Pork Center Loin Chop (boiled, baked or fried in olive oil)
- 4 oz. Tofu (soybean curd)
- 8 oz. Long Grain Brown Rice (3 oz. cooked in 6 oz. water)
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Molasses
- 2 Whole Carrots (boiled and then cut up)
- 1 cup Spinach (cooked)
- 4 Tbs. Green Bell Pepper (chopped and steamed)
- 4 Broccoli Spears (boiled and then cut up)
You can substitute poultry, beef and lamb for the pork chop. This will alter the composition slightly, mainly by added additional fat. The weight of meat is based upon boneless portions.
Most of the items can be prepared in a microwave or by boiling them. Based on your dog’s body weight, you will need to make more or less. For example, if your dog weighs 80 pounds, multiply all the ingredients by 1.5, keeping their relative proportions.
Food can also be prepared in advance and frozen for later use. Dr. Clemmons recommends that before feeding, you remove the food from the freezer and thaw in hot (or boiling) water or microwave to defrost.
Note: Dr. Jeff Feinman, Certified Homeopath and Integrative Veterinarian pointed out that some dogs are allergic to tofu (soy products). It causes gas and bloating. Dr. Clemmons likes tofu because it contains flavonoids which promote health. You can start with tofu in the recipe, but substitute with one of the other proteins if you see digestive problems.
To complete the diet, add (amount per serving):
- 1 tsp Dry Ground Ginger
- 2 Raw Garlic Cloves (crushed)
- ½ tsp Dry Mustard
- 1 tsp Bone Meal
Note: Pet owners have shared their concern about adding garlic to the diet. I contacted Dr. Clemmons about the issue and here is what he wrote on June 21, 2018.
“Garlic is not toxic to dogs in culinary levels. The first study to implement garlic in toxicity came from Australia where 5 dogs were lumped with 1 cat. The dogs ate onions which are toxic in moderate amounts and the cat had a reversible Heinz body anemia and ate garlic. The second study looked at dogs on garlic and if fed garlic over 7.5% by weight of diet, the dogs did develop a reversible Heinz body anemia. That is a lot of garlic. So, we do not see toxicity at normal levels used in cooking. The rest is not quite an urban legend, but those are the facts.”
Garlic is an excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory food. Dr. Clemmons recommends garlic because when it is combined with dry or pickled ginger it can replace the need for “aspirin-like (NSAID) drugs.”
That said, a report posted in Veterinarypartner.com, links garlic to Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in some dogs. IMHA causes severe anemia. If you are concerned about adding garlic to the diet, try substituting with these antibacterial foods: coconut oil, honey or ginger. Be aware that coconut oil can cause diarrhea and ginger can cause gas and bloating. Start with small amounts to see how well your dog tolerates these foods.
Dr. Clemmons also recommends mixing the DM diet into your dog’s existing food a little at a time until they adapt to it. The process should take about a week. This should help dogs with sensitive stomachs.
Dr. Clemmons has also approved the DM diet for healthy dogs that are listed as one of the breeds susceptible to the disease.
The 3 other tiers of Dr. Clemmons overall treatment plan for DM Dogs.
These include:
Exercise – such as walking or swimming with periods of rest.
Medication – as prescribed by your veterinarian.
Dietary Supplements – Yeast, B-Complex, vitamin E and C, and selenium. In addition: omega-3 fatty acid, Gamma Linolenic acid, Soybean Lecithin, Coenzyme Q, Ginkgo Ginseng: (males only) Dong quai: (females only) Green tea, Grape seed extract, Hydergine, Siberian Ginseng, Bromelain/ Curcumin and Feverfew. (Dosages are available on Dr. Clemmons’ website.)
Click here to read the complete article written by Dr. Clemmons about his 4-tier plan for treating dogs with DM and other neurological diseases.
You can find many of the supplements for Dr. Clemmons DM diet on Amazon, where Lessons From A Paralyzed Dog is an affiliate. That means we get a small fee with your purchase at no additional cost to you.
