Hi,
My 9 year old dog has been showing some weakness in her hind end and the vet thinks it might be Degenerative Myelopathy. She is a 40 lb basset/border collie/corgi. She had an x-ray done last week that does show a lot of arthritis in her spine especially around her hip area, but she does not seem in pain. She’s had disc spaz out before and this is not like that, she was in obvious pain then. We put her on Rimadyl for a week and that did nothing. Right now we are trying prednisone and she has been on that for 4 days now with no noticeable difference. Next the vet wants to do an MRI. Has anybody had a dog with DM? How did you treat it? Any thing to add to her food to help, like vitamin E or something? Thank you so much in advance as I’m kind of freaking out about this! Any other suggestions of things it could be are welcomed too, I want to look at all the options to give her the best chance.
There is a blood test that is around $100 that would be a cheaper place to start instead of a $2000 MRI, unless your vet feels that there could also be something that is surgical. There is no real treatment…I have seen our patients do well since it is not painful. Many end up using a cart, and there is also a harness called “Help Me Up” you can order that is helpful for dog and owner. Some people give the vitamin E; it certainly doesn’t hurt.
The only other thing I’ve seen used for dogs diagnosed with DM was the addition of aminocaproic acid & dietary supplements. R. M. Clemmons, a professor at U of FL vet school has done a ton of research in this field; searching his name + DM might give you some useful info.
Best to your girl,
Taryn
My beloved childhood dog was diagnosed with DM when she was 8. By age 11 she was limited to very minimal activity and by 12 she was in a wheelchair. She had another six months of great, happy life before she became ill for other reasons (cancer) and was euthanized. I knew it was time when, instead of enthusiastically dragging herself up, she turned and hid from her wheelchair.
I can only recommend mechanical aids: boots for the hind paws made a HUGE difference for Mirri, giving her traction on slick floors. Without them, she probably would have needed a wheelchair sooner.
I wrote an article about wheelchairs for dogs for Dog & Kennel magazine a few years ago—PM me if you want a copy. Hope it doesn’t come to that for your pup!
Good luck! I’m sorry!
Hey, I just saw this thread and I wanted to chime in since my corgi x basenji mix was diagnosed with DM last summer. I really hope this is not the case for you, as it has been heart breaking for me. My dog started demonstrating symptoms last year around December-January, but we just kept thinking she had injured herself since she has always been a very active dog who didn’t know how to pace herself. I spent last spring talking to local vets, and all the pain meds etc did not help her. I took her to U Penn last summer and we did the blood test and she was diagnosed. She has gone rapidly downhill in the past year. A year ago, she was still able to run pretty well, use stairs, etc. In August-September she was walking and could go down stairs if they had carpeting. Now she has to be carried everywhere and has started to demonstrate other difficulties (incontinence, panting at random times). She did not like the cart I got for her, so I just carry her (thank goodness she only weighs 28 lbs!), she is essentially happy most of the time, but definitely gets depressed when she cannot do things she is used to doing. She was always so friendly and active, she sometimes seems to be depressed at her paralysis. It was very fortunate that we had a mild winter since Suzy spends so much time on the ground, and sadly I think that she just weathered her last winter. She’s not “done” yet, but I know it’s sooner rather than later and it’s a very hard position to be in, her brain is still so good:/.
I’m sorry to be such a downer, I just really hope this isn’t the case for you, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Be as proactive as you can, and chiro can be of help as well.
Our Pembroke Corgi, Gumby, has developed DM in the past few months. He can still walk, but his back left leg turns in and buckles, and he is losing control of his hind end. We went through the anti-inflamatories and the steroid treatment already, with no improvment, and the x-rays showed nothing. He fits all the symptoms of DM. I have found that “CorgiAid” http://www.corgiaid.org is a very helpful group and also the Yahoo group wheelcorgis@yahoogroups.com CorgiAid is going to lend us a cart for Gumby for as long as he needs it- just costs $50.00 deposit, refundable when you return the cart, and shipping both ways. There are many people on the Yahoo group that are going through, or have gone through, the various stages of DM with their pups, and are very nice and helpful. I have found much useful information at both sites.
Hopes this helps, and I am so sorry for all of us losing our beloved pets to this wretched disease 
I’m sorry to hear.
My 12 year old lab was diagnosed about a year ago.
He is on pains meds and has held him.
It’s terribly to watch and we are near the end. I met him at 7days old and he’s been in my life since he was 6 weeks old. He is still very alert and it’s tough for him mentally when his legs give out.He always struggles to get back up.
I would love to know if any supplements helped.
My friends German Shepherd was diagnosed at age 8 or 9, he was in a wheechair at age 10 and lived to 15! I was a little unsure about his quality, but man…he loved that chair and would book it around the house! Luckily, they are filthy rich and the dog had his own travel van and they modified the house to all ramps for him 
no pain associated with DM
Blacklabs - why is your dog on pain meds? From what I understand from all my research, my vet, and my friends on the corgionwheeels site, there is no pain associated with DM. Does he have additional issues that cause him pain? Regardless, I am sorry that you have had to go through this and wish there were better final outcomes for our fur babies that get this. 
As far as I have been able to find out - there are no supplements that help DM. I do have Gumby on “Glyco-Flex III” chews (recommended by my vet) to help the joints that are still healthy.
One reason behind pain meds is that while DM itself is not a painful condition, so dogs do get uncomfortable due to the changes in the way they move. For example some pups show signs of muscle soreness along the back, or forelimb arthritis flareups from shifting weight forward.
Not necessarially true for every dog of course, but that is the reason some still use NSAIDs etc.
Thank you Horsegal 984! We are so new to this that I am glad to get any information that I can. That makes sense about other places getting sore from the use of different muscles, and using pain meds to help relieve that pain. Luckily, Gumby, our DM Corgi, does not seem to be in any pain yet, but we will watch closely to monitor the situation. :yes:
My beloved corgi, Bailey, had DM. He was diagnosed at 8 and lived to be 13. It is something that I never want to deal with again, but at least he was never in pain and seemed quite content - it’s just heartbreaking. Fortunately, there is a genetic test for DM and I wish breeders would be more responsible. I started looking for a corgi puppy 4 weeks after Bailey was gone. I searched the country for a breeder that had DM clear puppies. I’m sorry to say they are far and few between, but I found one to bring home.
Thanks HG, yes that is why he has pain meds. He also has a Laryngeal Paralysis and a thyroid condition. He does get very restless and the meds help.
It started with the throid, then LP and now DM. Becasue he had other medical conitions I will not do anything more except to keep him pain free and love as long as I have him.
