My Pet Dog, A German Sheperd Suffers From Degenerative Myelopathy. Anybody Here Can Help Me With Suggestions?

5 Responses for "My Pet Dog, A German Sheperd Suffers From Degenerative Myelopathy. Anybody Here Can Help Me With Suggestions?"

1. Brown Eyed Girl December 15th, 2009 at 6:44 pm

   I’m sorry to hear that. But is he/she in their elder years?
   I think that the best thing to do would be to go to your vet, and ask them what your options are. I hope that they can fix it.
   I’m so glad that your actually helping your dog, with the meds and stuff. Because there have been people on here saying like “My dog has been limping on his leg for about a year now, whats wrong?” And they don’t get medication, or go see a vet?? Clearly your a responsible dog owner. Good luck.
   Sorry I wasn’t much help, but I recommend seeing a vet.

2. whoops :) December 15th, 2009 at 10:59 pm

   well there are 2 drugs that the FDA hasn’t approved that may help: aminocaproic acid (EACA) and n-acetylcysteine (NAC)
   also doggie physical therapy. see if u cant find a doggie pool for him and take him swimming, mind u u’ll probably have to get in with him to keep him afloat. taking him on walks may also help.
   Honestly just make sure he’s happy, try to keep him comfortable, and give him lots of love im really sorry

3. Laneysmo December 16th, 2009 at 1:57 am

   My heart goes out to you. I understand what you are going through. My beloved yellow lab developed and succumbed to DM in 2006.
   When my dog first started showing symptoms (an awkward gait, stumbling on his back legs), I took him to one of our region’s finest orthopedic veterinarians. After doing a myelogram to rule out a disk herniation or other possibly treatable disorder, the vet diagnosed him with DM. I was told that there was no real treatment, and that my dog would be paralyzed in 6 months to a year. As a further blow, the myelogram caused a permanent worsening of his condition (I don’t recommend doing this test unless you strongly suspect an injury is present).
   After the diagnosis, I did A LOT of on-line research, hoping to find some sort of treatment that could help. The only one that I found is an approach by veterinarian and professor Dr. Clemmons. He prescribes lots of exercise, a specific whole-food diet, and the use of vitamin supplements (including C and E, which you are using), n-acetylcysteine and aminocaproic acid. I recommend checking out http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/DM_Web/DMofGS.htm, which provides a wealth of information about the disorder and Dr. Clemmon’s treatment method.
   I tried a combination of vitamins (B, C, E and fatty acids), n-acetylcysteine (an OTC, fairly inexpensive supplement you can get on-line at Vitaminshoppe.com or some place similar), and aminocaproic acid tablets (which is a human blood clotting drug that you will need a script to buy). The last item is very expensive. In tablet form it ran about $200.month, but I understand the liquid form is significantly cheaper. Because of the great number of pills involved, I used Pill Pockets (available at Petsmart or online) to make administration easier.
   For about 7 months, progression of the disease was pretty gradual, with localized ups and downs, Then in the eighth month he really worsened. I had to help him to his feet, and loop an arm or sling under him to keep him steady enough to make short trips outside for potty breaks. Then one day he generally could not get up even with help, and had lost the will to try. At that time, he also lost control of his bladder and started shaking. It was clear to me that it was time to let him go.
   I wish that I had a more positive story to share. I wish you the best of luck and as much quality time as possible with your dog.

4. jams December 16th, 2009 at 6:09 am

   http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/DM_Web…
   has tons of info

5. yuriko7c December 16th, 2009 at 12:35 pm

   I have a German Shepard too…
   I recommend yours should go to a vet. Sorry.. =[
   I hope your dog gets better. <33