My Great Dane's hind legs kick. Is she losing feeling or is it DM?

I'm sorry Bailey isn't doing well at the moment! Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a diagnosis of elimination, meaning that other causes for the weakness are looked for using an MRI and myelography. The only way to confirm it for sure is during a necropsy (autopsy for dogs) when the spinal cord is cut and examined for characteristic degenerative changes. A feature of DM is that is isn't painful, and given all of Bailey's symptoms, I would speak to your vet about having an MRI and myelography to rule out other potential causes of her symptoms.

Hello. It is impossible to try & diagnose Bonnie's problems without a full exam. You see, some very large breed puppies can have issues with their bones & joints, something similar to growing pains in children. She may also have early issues with hip or even elbow dysplasia. She should be evaluated at your earliest convenience so that the proper diagnosis can be made. Once this has been done, medications, diet, environmental changes will all be looked at to try & help Bonnie grow into the healthiest puppy possible. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concerns. This could very well be related to arthritis of the back legs. The more arthritis develops, the more painful it becomes for dogs to walk. If there is hip dysplasia and this worsens over time, some dogs can appear to walk as if they are drunk with wobbly legs. I would recommend having Athena looked at by a veterinarian so that the appropriate treatment can be recommended. I typically recommend a multi-modal approach and use anti-inflammatory drugs such as Carprofen, pain medications such as Tramadol, Methadone or Gabapentin. Supplements that I would recommend would include Dasuquin with MSM, Adequan injections and Welactin omega 3 fish oil. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

While degenerative myelopathy is a concern giving your dogs breed and these clinical signs there are other possible causes. The MRI could help show if there could be an infection affecting the spinal cord, or herniated disc, or even some sort of mass that could be potential be removed. While none of those sound like good alternatives some of them may be curable or even manageable longer than to degenerative myelopathy.

There are no treatments that have been clearly shown to stop or slow progression of degenerative myelopathy (DM). Although there are a number of approaches that have been tried or recommended on the internet, no scientific evidence exists that they work. The outlook for a dog with DM is still grave. The quality of life of an affected dog can be improved by measures such as good nursing care, physical rehabilitation, pressure sore prevention, monitoring for urinary infections, and ways to increase mobility through use of harnesses and carts. What specifically are you wanting answered? Please post again and be as specific as possible so we can better help you.

In an older GSD losing ability to control hindlims, I would be concerned about degenerative diseases of the spinal cord (degenerative myelopathy-DM), spinal cord tumors, or less likely a fungal infection such as aspergillosis. Bluebelle needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Following examination, discuss testing for DM and imaging of her spinal cord (MRI)x

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are several things this could be including: degenerative myelopethy (usually a gradual onset), a blood or cartilage clot in the spine, or a spinal disk problem. We cannot rule our cancer either, unfortunately. I’d recommend getting in to your vet (tomorrow ideally) as a good physical exam and further questioning can narrow this list down dramatically in some cases. Best wishes to you and Phoebe!