Degeneratiev Myelopathy

[morganc]

Hello Boxer lovers,

I just found out that my 10 year old boxer has Degeneratiev Myelopathy. I have been reading several websites and gathering information. I understand the ins and outs of the disease but I am looking for advice. For those of you who have had a dog who had DM what did you do? Any options that helped? What was the time from the onset of the first symptoms till the end?


Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

[djheitz]

Our weim had it. She showed symptoms for a year or two before being diagnosed - weakness, stumbling, etc. When the vet determined it was DM, she didn't give us many options (one of the reasons we're with different vet now). She put her on increasing doses of prednisone, which helped temporarily. Within a couple of weeks, our Lucy could no longer hold herself up and had to be carried up and down steps, outside for potty breaks, and needed assistance just shifting her body to a new position. With a 90 pound dog and lots of steps, we accepted the vet's advice and had her put to sleep. She was a couple of months shy of her tenth birthday and had been a very healthy dog up to that point.

I have since found out that there are carts available for dogs with limited or no mobility, doggie diapers and other options to help the dog cope. We have also moved to a home with only one step at the entry. Should we ever have to deal with DM again, we'll be better prepared. One of the volunteers for our rescue has a boxer with DM. She has a cart and does well with it.

My advice is to do lots of research before you make any decisions. I wish we had and still wonder if we could have done more for Lucy.

Good luck.

[larrygs]

Our Lucy had DM as well. We went through extensive and expensive testing to insure ourselves it wasn't something else with similar symptoms. We kept hoping, but ...

I agree with the research and being sure of the diagnosis.

We did the things you'll find, eg kept her weight in control, continued exercize, gave her an antioxident. Not sure what how much any one thing helped. When her toes began to drag excessively, we used latex booties to prevent scrapping on concrete and such. Some pet stores have them in different sizes.

In general, we comforted, loved and enjoyed being with her during the time she had remaining.

We didn't use a cart in that her quality of life deteriated rapidly at the end. This was about a year from when we noticed something was not right, and about 9 months after the vet struck out alternatives. The look in her eyes let us know it was time.

Our hearts are with you and your boxer.

[Murp.mm]

I don't have an info. but I'm sending your baby lots of healing vibes.

[RoxiesEcho]

My heart goes out to you because it's a terrible disease and one I hope I never have to deal with again. We lost our German Shepherd to it and though it will be 4 years in June, it still brings tears. She lived a good long life for her breed, she was 13 years and 3 months when she left us. For at least a year Roxie would have periods of sitting in the living room and staring at the wall. Then she had what resembled a slight stroke and the vet had us giving her Dramamine to help with the dizziness - her eyes actually bounced back and forth for several days. Once the toe dragging started we put baby socks and booties on her back feet to keep her from scratching her toes raw. We also built a ramp off our back porch to help her get in an out. After only about 6 months of that we had to pratically carry her to the yard to go potty. From the toe dragging to when we helped her to the bridge was less than a year. The final act was her dragging herself from the living room to my bedside during the night, leaving a trail of diarhea behind her. We couldn't let her go on in such an undignified manner.

I'm sorry this was so long and depressing. My best advice is to love him with all your heart while he is with you and look for his sign that he has had enough. You've been blessed to have him for 10 years. Give him a big hug and kiss from me!