My senior dog has weak legs & collapses. What helps with DM?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive neurologic condition that is more common in the German Shepherd Dog, but affects other breeds as well. I am assuming your vet suspects this condition because of hindlimb weakness/wobbliness. Because many things can cause similar symptoms, especially if pain is a component of the process, getting more of a definitive diagnosis can be helpful. There is a DNA genetic test for degenerative myelopathy that can help aide in diagnosis. You could talk to your vet about this if this would be helpful for you to know. Mainly because this can be a sad disease to help the pet through, especially in later stages. Most of the treatment is centered around supportive care, assistance walking, booties on feet, physical therapy. The person who would have the most up to date information on the treatments of this disease would be a veterinary neurologist. You could also talk to your regular vet about a referral if you feel that this would be helpful for you as well. The treatment you describe above likely comes from a specific veterinary neurologist that suggested some medications may be beneficial but this has not likely been backed up by reasearch yet unfortunately. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Mitch is having hindlimb weakness. Weakness in the hindlegs in older dogs can be due to a variety of reasons, including arthritis, back discomfort, or an underlying neurologic issue, among others. Anti-inflammatories, pain medications, and supportive care (such as hydrotherapy and acupuncture) may all be beneficial options. I would recommend discussing what the best overall treatment plan for Mitch would be with your regular veterinarian, or seek a second opinion if you want further advice. Good luck!

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concerns. In regards to treatment for Neospora caninum, it is treated similarly to Toxoplasmosis. Either Clindamycin or sulfa drugs are used for prolonged periods of time to treat either one of these infections. You can test for Neospora caninum by sending out a blood sample to the laboratory for confirmatory purposes. I would suggest having her tested for this disease to rule out this condition definitively to see if the medication is even warranted. If this is degenerative myelopathy, unfortunately there is not much successful treatment for this condition. The ultimate outcome of degenerative myelopathy is death. There is no cure. The good news is that intensive physical rehabilitation and properly fitted and selected assist equipment can extend a dog's survival time by almost 3 years versus 6-12 months for dogs that do not receive physical therapy. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns I can help you with.

I am so sorry to hear this. I would make sure she is on a joint supplement - I like dasuquin or flexadin. I would also look into the orthodog hip hound brace. I have had some of my geriatric patients who this has help tremendously with getting up. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on everyone. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not she needs a daily anti-inflammatory to help keep her comfortable. Finally, if you can find a vet in your area who specializes in acupuncture and Chinese herbs, this can be a tremendous help to increase the STRENGTH and decrease pain in an arthritic dog. I hope this helps!

I would suggest asking your vet for more potent treatments if he is having this hard of a time getting around. Poor guy. : ( The best treatment for severe degnerative joint disease is by giving your pet multple medications. Adequan injections are a top of the line treatment that your vet should hvae in the clinic. Ask about pricing and dosage frequencies associated with this medication. It helps with pain and inflammation and appropriate fluid in the joint space. Also your pet should be on 1-2 pain medications, including Rimadyl and Tramadol. All of these medications work well together to help control pain and inflammaiton. And lastly you should consider getting Stew on a joint supplement. My top pick here is Dasuquin joint supplements found on Amazon.com. It contains 3 ingredients: glucosamine, MSM and chondroitin, which all help support the joint and cartilage. Multiple drug treatment for dogs with degnerative joint disease is a staple for pets and often is the most successful versus just relying on just one medication. They all work synergistically with each other and can help achieve decent mobility for your pet. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951467 Best wishes with Stew moving forward. I hope that he is able to gain the majority of his mobility back soon! Take care.