Is my dog's hind leg weakness, incontinence, and trouble standing DM?

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.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on your description and the age and breed envy is, I would put degenerative myelopathy at the top of my list for sure. I would not rule out a spinal problem either causing impinging of the nerves going to the hind legs. Unfortunately the prognosis for DM is poor as there is no cure for the disease. I would recommend having envy examined by a veterinarian for a full neurological examination and to run some other tests such as xrays and CT scan to rule out other causes. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Unfortunately yes, most dogs with DM will eventually develop fecal incontinence. The nerves controlling the bladder can also be affected. The nerves that tell the brain that they need to use the bathroom no longer function so the pet doesn’t know. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Old age is certainly not a diagnosis, but is commonly used as a catch all when families don't want to pursue testing for specific conditions. It sounds like your vet may have misinterpreted your interest in getting to the bottom of the cause. "Weak Rear" is not a syndrome (to my knowledge), but I'm guessing you're referring to Degenerative Myelopathy which is a progressive, non-painful neurologic condition that results in lack of control starting from the back legs up. There are no treatments for it, so early diagnosis doesn't make a difference. Other things that can cause similar clinical signs are disc issues, spinal cancers, and other uncommon neurologic diseases. All that said, if you want to pursue this, and I don't think there's any reason not to, I'd ask for a referral to a neurologist and go from there. They will likely do an exam and then recommend an MRI or other imaging to get the best idea of what is going on. I hope that helps answer your question!

Degenerative myelopathy affects strength, proprioception (knowledge of where the body or limbs are in time and space), and motor function. It usually does not affect sensation/feeling or motor reflexes ("withdrawal"), which is what you are checking when you put your fingers between her pads. Degenerative myelopathy also usually affects both hind limbs, not just one limb, and moves progressively from the hind limbs to the fore limbs. There is a blood test your veterinarian can do to confirm it. While lyme disease can certainly cause joint pain and may potentially interfere with nerve signal conduction, it usually involves more than one limb. It makes perfect sense to treat Texxie for lyme though, especially if this is her first time testing positive. I would also be concerned for some type of disc injury to her back though. A bulging or ruptured disc can put pressure on nerve roots or the spinal cord and cause profound weakness and paralysis. This is best diagnosed by an MRI. Other possibilities include some type of embolism to her spinal cord (like a blood clot or piece of tissue that might lodge along the spinal cord and disrupt information going back and forth), an infection, or cancer. Ideally, Texxie should be screened for all of these things. In the meantime, it's very good that Texxie has sensation and reflexes in her hind limb. Keep her very still, quiet, and check in with your vet frequently if she gets worse or seems painful. Good luck and I hope Texxie gets better soon!

Sorry to hear about Dakota's current predicament. Assuming that her two endocrine conditions are well managed, the problem with mobility is likely a separate problem entirely. A myelogram is certainly a decent option for discovering certain abnormalities in the spine, but the best way to rule these out involve a CT Scan or MRI. These are tests that are available only through a specialty hospital in most cases. If she has feeling in all of her limbs, I have doubts that the disease process is of spinal origin however, particularly if this has already been going on for a week. Other causes of lack of mobility are certain infectious diseases (tick borne diseases in particular), traumatic injuries to the spine (fractures to the actual vertebra), severe arthritis, and several different cancerous processes involving the bones and spinal cord. There are also degenerative neurologic conditions that can affected any of the limbs or the brain, ultimately resulting in mobility issues. I tend to lean towards an infectious process or arthritis since there is pain occurring from time to time. I would say that investigating this issue in more detail with your vet would be worth while, with some blood work and a check for tick borne diseases. Hope this helps!