Lessons from a paralyzed dog

A tribute to the fastest runner in the dog park.

Early Stages Of Degenerative Myelopathy In Dogs Video

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dog health | degenerative myelopathy dogs | DM dogs | DM early stages video | DM early stages signs

Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive neurologic disease in dogs that is caused by a degeneration of the spinal cord. Dogs diagnosed with the condition typically pass away after 2-3 years. Many times the warning signs that something is wrong with your dog go unnoticed. But thanks to a German shepherd named Roscoe and his generous family, we are able to share the early stages of Degenerative Myelopathy in dogs video. It is the best video I have seen about this terrible disease.

Early stages of dog Degenerative Myelopathy.

A brief review of Degenerative Myelopathy

We’ve talked about DM many times on this blog and you’ll find a list of additional reading material at the end of this post. Here is a really short, description of the disease.

Degenerative Myelopathy typically strikes dogs between the ages of 8-14. The symptoms begin with a loss of coordination and weakness in the hind legs. That progresses to complete paralysis in the back legs. Eventually the paralysis moves to the front limbs and to the respiratory system. At this point in time DM is a fatal condition, but as I write this story there are two critical clinical studies being conducted at Cornell University, the University of Missouri.

The early stages of Degenerative Myelopathy in dogs video

 

Check out more of our videos on the Lessons From A Paralyzed Dog YouTube Channel.

Here is a list of breeds prone to Degenerative Myelopathy

  •         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
  •         Pug
  •         Rhodesian Ridgeback
  •         Shetland Sheepdog
  •         Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers
  •        Wire Fox Terrier

Additional articles about DM

Skye’s Sory of Degenerative Myelopathy

Dogs Needs for Advanced Imagine Procedure to Diagnose DM

Degenerative Myelopathy Dogs Got Good News

Degenerative Myelopathy Dogs Have New Options and Diet

Products to improve daily living with a DM dog


If you’ve cared for a dog with Degenerative Myelopathy, please share your story below in the comment area.

Comments

  1. We determined my baby girl, Ellie, has DM a year ago (She is 10 now). The beginning signs were so subtle that no one else agreed with me that she was walking different. Over time and with tests, trials, medicines, etc., her walking issues started becoming obvious to those not as in tune with her. When I look back, I think she began showing hints a few years ago when she started randomly kicking a back leg out, almost in a spasm when she would run or play.

    Once we determined DM was the only plausible reason for her change in walking, we started electro acupuncture, chiropractic, laser, and herbal therapies. We also changed her diet to include more beef, turkey, chicken, spinach, sweet potatoes, beans, peas, and few other foods as it’s believed these help. We also began taking 3 short walks every day instead of the long walks she use to take, as I read that was better for DM dogs. Does all of this help? Honestly, there is no way to know for certain, but it doesn’t seem to hurt and I don’t want to risk changing something up if it is what’s has allowed her freedom this long.

    As she has progressed significantly in the last couple months, our short walks have gotten shorter. I let her decide how far to walk. But we still do 3 a day. I also still make her was the stairs (I assist, but make her do most of it on her own).

    Her left rear leg is losing functionality quicker than the right. We introduced a wheelchair a month ago and use it for walks or outside time. Our floor plan is not open enough to use it in the house plus, she can’t lay down when she chooses when in it. Although I heard a bean bag is an option for them to roll up to, to rest. I haven’t tried it yet. I have her wheels set so she still has to use her back legs.

    I’ve noticed she seems to get frustrated that her body won’t do what she wants it to anymore, so she lays down a lot more than she use to.

    It breaks my heart that I can not fix this and make the disease go away, but dogs are resilient and I’m sure it’s been harder for me watching her slowly become paralyzed than it has been for her to be going through it. I will continue to do anything and everything for her as long as she is happy and has a good quality of life. This site has been a great resource for me. *thank you!*

    Some products we use:
    Ruffwear GripTrex boots. These hold up longer than most we tried and don’t get pulled off her feet from dragging. They have rubber grip over the toes, which was great when hardwood floors started becoming too slippery for her.
    Help ‘em up harness. Ellie is a petite 40lb boxer, so it’s easy to just pick her up, but this harness is great for our dog sitter who we wouldn’t ask to pick her up.
    Walkin’ Wheels wheelchair. It seems to be good quality and sturdy. No complaints so far.
    Baby wipes – she seems to collect more “gunk” in the pads of her paws and these are a gentle, easy way to clean.
    Dog beds (with memory foam stuffing) that concave to the middle. I think she likes that the sides kind of support her.
    Rugs on hardwood floors. We use multiple smaller “runner” rugs as most of our hard surface is hallways. It’s easier to wash one in the machine if there is an accident.

    Reply

    • Tammie, I’m sorry to hear about your boxer. DM is a terrible disease and it’s awful to watch your dog’s health decline. It sounds like you have been taking very good care of her for the past year. You should be proud that you’ve been able to keep her symptoms from getting worse during this time. I appreciate you sharing the products, devices and treatments that have helped Ellie. If you find that her Help Em Up harness is becoming a challenge for her, please check out a rear lifting harness. I like the Airlift One from Walkabout Harnesses. I used it for my dog once she could no longer use her back legs. And I have to say that your idea of using a bean bag chair for your dog is brilliant. It is a great height for a large paralyzed dog and the bean bag chair will wrap around her and not let her fall out of bed. You mention that one leg is deteriorating faster than the other. Please know this is common for dogs with DM. I hope you’ll join Lessons From A Paralyzed Dog on Facebook. You will be able to communicate with other pet owners. Best wishes to you and Ellie.

      Reply

  2. I have a 15 year old medium sized chow cross with this condition and mild cognitive degenerative disorder. I’m really struggling watching her strain to pooh and the pooh smears everywhere. It’s not an occasional accident, now for the past 3 to 6 weeks it’s pretty much pooh everywhere, little pellets that fall out of her, smears on her bed, smears on my bed as she sleeps with me. It’s so interesting to read she’s not in pain, vet said the same because it’s very difficult watching her strain trying to pooh 80 times a day. I’m struggling watching her. I can see she’s still enjoying life for the most part, rimadyl helps. It’s a roller coaster I’m on. One day I think she has 24 hours left, the next 6 months. I can’t put her to sleep cos of pooh only. Not when she’s still eating and engaging.

    Reply

    • Loreley, Thanks for reaching out about your dog. You mention that your dog has mild cognitive degenerative disorder. Degenerative Myelopathy has more to do with the spine than cognitive problems. Is your dog having problems walking?
      To help with her fecal mess, have you considered using a dog diaper or a suspender outfit? There are lots of great products for incontinent pets that will keep her from making a mess. I like the products from Barkertime, but you can also find them at big box pet stores and on Amazon. I do however wonder what is causing her to strain when she has a bowel movement? This might be something to discuss with your veterinarian. Thank you for taking good care of your dog.

      Reply

      • I first took her to the vet towards the beginning of the year because of what looked like constipation. Straining and just a pellet came out. He said then her nerves along her spine were dead or dying, related to age and said there was not much I could do, recommended a laxative but said even that would be difficult, to continue with the same food. During the course of the day it comes out, it must do, because the vet also has said she is not constipated. That she gets confused sometimes as well is just compounding because she will sometimes try to pooh on the carpet with the door open. I just gently direct her outside. I am in South Africa, Amazon doesn’t deliver here but I can find pet nappies in pet and vet shops – I have been considering it. I don’t get the pros and cons though. Every person I’ve asked – my vet, the lady at the daycare who also runs a huge rescue in the townships, the behaviourist who did bodywork on her – all seem to think a diaper is not a good idea, not good for the dog. It would be a solution for me, but is it a solution for her I wonder? She’s old. I just don’t know when the right time is the right time. Everyone says I will know and I should stop worrying. It’s agonising for me right now. If a little earlier is better than later is that now or will I miss it? I feel like she’s not quite ready. It’s like living in a nightmare trying to work out when the right time will be.

        Reply

        • She’s walking, even every now and then trotting for a short burst on the field next door and slowly up and down the stairs. I had carried her every now and then when it looked like she’d rather sleep downstairs (She’s 20kgs, lifting her isnt easy) but when I read here you saying exercise was good Ive been insisting. I often have to get her up and hold her for a few seconds to get her balance, like in the morning when I lift her off the bed or when I lift her out of the car or want her to come with us on a little walk. I have had discussions with friends about hard and soft boundaries and I couldnt handle her being paralyzed. Coco is 15, Ive had her 3 years, she was thrown away after a divorce by people I know so I had been acquainted with her previously but not closely. She’s autistic, like a real chow, her communication skills are not good and it took her along time to settle but clearly bonded to me and follows me. I thought she was deaf for about 13 months when she first moved in. My other dog is more independent, takes herself off to bed, Coco always waits for me. So its also not that easy for me to read her, she’s content to lie on her bed and be in the middle of all of us and comes for a hand when she feels like it. That was my pact with her when she moved in, to always give her a hand when she asked for a hand on her body. I dont think she had her fill before. And she still asks, gets herself up and nuzzles her head between my legs asking for attention. It is so hard to watch the degeneration knowing I cant make it better.

          Reply

          • Loreley, You sound like an amazing pet owner. I love the dedication you have to your dogs. It is great that you are seeing that Coco continues to get some exercise, but please keep it light and fun. Please take care of yourself as well as your fur kids. Best wishes.

  3. We finally submitted to this disease yesterday. Blue was a wonderful dog. Much gentler than any of my 3 previous setters, who were always friendly to people, but not so around other dogs. In August of 2016, I began to notice that he would stumble when running up the short stairway from our backyard to our deck and house. Although I was concerned, I dismissed it as a sign of age. After all, Blue was approaching 12 years old at the time. A few months later, Blue, my wife, Sue, and I departed on a 3 day road trip from our home in Lewes, DE to New Orleans, LA to enjoy Thanksgiving with our family at our daughter’s house, On the way, I noticed that Blue had a hard time getting in and out of our Honda CRV. I began to suspect that the problem was more than just old age. When I let him out of the CRV for walks he seemed to hop for awhile but eventually assumed a normal gait after a short distance.I also noticed that he had a hard time going up the stairs when we visited our friends in Atlanta That is when I plugged these observations into my phone and learned about degenerative myelopathy. That was November, 2016 and I was pretty sure he had it.

    When we got back to Lewes I brought Blue to his veterinarian and related my observations. The first thing she did was to fold the paw of one his hind legs downward so that he would have to correct it in order to support his weight. He did respond, but it took much longer than I expected. Then she observed the way he walked. Sure enough, he stumbled. The diagnosis read “ascending myelopathy vs. musculoskeletal disease.” I agreed with the former but not the latter. If Blue had slipped a disk or hip dysplasia why didn’t he show any signs of pain and why was he becoming incontinent?

    By early Summer, 2017, Blue could no longer walk the length of our yard, about 100 feet, without stumbling and falling to a sitting position. He was also totally incontinent. We got diaper wraps and potty pads but I continued to take him on our walks through the woods every morning However, I realized that I needed a harness so that I could support his rear end.Our walks abruptly stopped in August because I could no longer get him in and out of the car,

    About one year after the road trip when I first noticed the symptoms,.Blue was paraplegic. We cared for him as best we could. Keeping him and our house clean was difficult for both me and my wife, but we could not let him go. Then, in November, 2018 we realized that he had lost mobility in his front legs and that, although he still didn’t seem to be in pain, he was uncomfortable; all of the time. He could no longer right himself from laying on his side to an upright position ,Nevertheless he tried; incessantly scratching the carpet until one of us could get to him and help him turn from his side to his stomach so that he was upright. He was also thirsty all of the time, He had lost his ability to bark more than a year earlier, but we eventually figured out that he wanted water when he started to breathe loudly and snort.

    My wife was sitting for my daughter’s cat in Denver last week when I decided that it was time to let him go. When she came back, we called the veterinarian. That was November 7, 2018; almost two years to the day since I first realized what was wrong with him. Over that period of time Blue underwent a physical transformation from a beautiful, athletic, independent, Irish Setter to a wasted skeleton with red fur who could barely move more than a couple of feet without our help. However, he remained loyal, gentle and determined to live to the very end, and I believe, he would have continued that way for years to come had we not decided for him that he had had enough.

    I am pretty old too. I can no longer move like I did when I got my first Irish Setter back in 1963, either. However, I am pretty sure that the source of my immobility is musculoskeletal and motor neuron disease. I did learn a lot from caring for Red, Ar’jay, and Triton. But not as much as I learned from Blue; who showed me how to face the tragedies that come with living and the inevitability of death.

    Thanks, Blue..

    Reply

    • Marc, Your story is a wonderful tribute to Blue. I am very sorry for your loss. Reading about Blue’s decline and what you did to take care of him, reminded me of when I was the caretaker for Sophie. My heart skipped when you mentioned how long it took Blue to respond when the veterinarian checked the knuckling of his paw. I remember that day vividly. I also remember the day when Sophie lost the ability to bark. Veterinarians don’t tell you about that symptom. DM is a tough disease, but it sounds like you and your family rose to the occasion and did your very best to keep your boy comfortable. Best wishes.

      Reply

  4. Sharon hi. I feel for you Marc. The vet told me that the way Coco rested on her knuckles of her back legs like that meant she wasnt in pain, which was comforting. Coco was always a quiet animal since she’d been with me so not barking was normal.

    I went into the vet on Tuesday and decided to make an appointment then, it would be the decider of how much rimadyl I bought and I thought I’d work with his schedule and availability. I expected to walk out with like 7 or 11 and I walked out with 2. I was still agonizing about whether or not I was making the right decision, she was eating well and involved to a point with family life but the endless straining to pooh, the pooh smears everywhere, the smell … was just so undignified. And struggling to get up, not wanting to walk, the nappies, she was shutting down. I was also worried about the cross contamination, I have another dog and a parrot and have been washing my own hands raw. She was poohing while she was eating and poohed in the car one morning last week. On Thursday morning I cleaned her and she growled at me, she has never done that before, and then I knew it was the right time. We are not supposed to be up a dogs bum. They can stick their own tongues in the bums, other dogs can put their noses up there, no fingers should be around those parts. There were flies around her, no amount of cleaning helped that, it was just too awful.

    The vet came to my home on Saturday morning and Coco passed on my couch so very peacefully, cuddled up to me with her head in my lap. The vet said it was a privilege for him. Now I just need to get used the new normal.

    Thank you so much for this blog, this article and these comments have been so very useful for me

    Regards
    Loreley

    Reply

    • Loreley, I am so very sorry to hear about Coco. You weighed all the options for her, your other pets and your family and made the best decision in a terrible situation. My condolences for your loss.

      Reply

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