Stem Cell Treatment for Degenerative Myelopathy (German Shepherd)

[twelvegates]

I own a 10 year old GSD who recently took a noticeable step down in her mobility. For the last year, she has had difficulty arising from a seated position, which has been attributed to arthritis. Took her to the vet on Thursday and the clinical signs now point to DM.

We are trying a steroid burst after weaning from Metacam (will manage pain with tramadol in the interim, as she surely does have arthritis as well). I’m also looking into the treatment protocol suggested by Dr. Clemmons:

http://dog2doc.com/neuro/DM_Web/DMofGS.htm

In researching this disorder, I noticed that stem cell therapy has worked in some cases. There does not appear to be a large amount of success in DM cases, though there are “remarkable” exceptions. The information I’ve been able to find is sparse.

I was wondering if anyone else has tried stem cell therapy for DM. I would appreciate any positive/negative input.

[SquishTheBunny]

I have known a few dogs to have had this done, to be honest there was minimal or no improvement BUT, I can only think of 3 that have gone this route so its certainly possible there are dogs out there who do great after the treatment.

Many of the Shepherds that come in do have DM, but its hard to diagnose without ruling out other causes like chronic discs, cauda equina, hip dysplasia etc.

What most of our clients feel is helpful is a “life me up harness”. It fits shepherds very well, and allows easy help from owners to get them up to their feet.

DM sucks, but hopefully you can book an apt with a neurologist to go over all your options!!

[alto]

If you haven’t already, post this on the GSD forums.

[twelvegates]

Thanks for the response Squish. I’ve thought about seeing a neurologist, just wondering what the best “bang for the buck” might be. Overall, I’ve seen little positive on the web and stem cell and DM.

Alto, I have looked through some of the GSD forums and found one particularly positive result for stem cell (including before and after videos).

[SquishTheBunny]

I would absolutely speak with a neurologist - doesn’t mean you have to do any further work ups, but a good solid discussion with someone who is educated particularly in the area you need, is a great start. They can answer questions on prognosis, discuss stats on treatments such as stem cell, and discuss management techniques.

Go in with an open mind, and lots of questions. Its definitely worth the consult fee for the discussion alone!