# Spondylosis (and DM?) Questions



## Mia's Mom (Apr 6, 2009)

My Mia has been slowly but surely losing the use of her hind legs for several years. She has spondylosis, but there is reason to believe she might also have DM. In any case, her deterioration in the last year has been much faster, and it's happening in bursts. For example, she was playing soccer a few days ago, but this morning she could only stay upright if she was moving fast, and she can't climb onto anything today without me lifting her hind end for her.

Has anyone else experienced this sort of decline with spondylosis or DM, and at what point do decide on a wheelchair? She's bright and alert and still plays like a puppy. She has lots of strength in her shoulders and front legs. She might lose the use of her back legs, but she's still a happy dog.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Have you read the links that are in the health sticky? Also, there is a DM thread in the health section that might be helpful too. 

I'm so sorry that your girl is going through this!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I never saw that sort of decline with my dog with spondylosis. Her spondylosis did worsen over time and spread to eventually much of her spine. However she never lost any use of her hind legs, and in fact she was compensating for the issue so well that my vet was shocked when she saw the progression on x-ray -- Ginger was still running and jumping (some) with very severe spondylosis. She did have a slower reaction to the test where they flip the foot over to see how long it takes them to right it but she never showed other signs of nerve damage. Her main symptoms were the inability to curve her back (due to the spondylosis basically fusing the spine) and a small sway when she walked. She also had DJD in her hips so the sway may have been from this. My vet credited her good muscle tone and keeping her exercise level up as well as the water treadmill hydrotherapy and acupuncture with her doing so well. I also did a lot of supplements and things.

Here is one of her x-rays, I'm not sure when this was from though I think it was one of the more recent ones: http://www.chicagocanine.com/dogtemp/xraygin.jpg


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## torizmojo (Apr 26, 2009)

My Faust was like this unfortunately. He got suddenly worse mobility-wise, and the vets had just attributed it to DM since he was a GSD. We already knew he had some spondylosis for a couple of years. He also started having nasal problems and we took him in to get some testing for that and found what the actual mobility problem was. While they were taking x-rays for his head, they saw that the bone growths from the spondylosis had worsened and were growing into his spinal cord in multiple spots, pinching it. 

Sadly we never got to use a wheelchair for the mobility issues because we had to let him go due to nasal cancer soon after.







I have heard of lots of people having success using them though.

Wishing you the best of luck.


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## Mia's Mom (Apr 6, 2009)

Mia seems to have largely recovered from the other day. I'm not sure whether she slept in an odd position or what, but although she's not back to where she was before this, she's able to climb onto the furniture on her own again.

I've been reading threads and following links all over the site. I don't think I've read the "sticky" thread, but I'll also check it. Thanks for sharing the stories of your own dogs. This is really Mia's only serious health concern. She's otherwise a very healthy, happy dog. I hope a wheel chair can buy her some more quality time for soccer games, hiking, and wrestling with her pack mates.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

Toby 14 has spondylosis, he was diagnosed at about 9 years old, never really showed fast progressing signs until the last year. but, the last few years i noticed big time that if he had a day he over did it, his rear end was totally screwed uo for a day or two after. meaning not alot of mobility, strength, and walking like he was drunk. he would recover to where he was mobile again. so, my thinking is even with spondylosis, is because of the pressure on the nerves and surrounding tissue and force that aggrivates the areas with movement can cause this.....

i have also noticed if i give him any anti-inflammatories at this point it totally effects his mobility. anti-inflammatories block nerve receptors, which is already whats happening with the spondylosis so the meds Really empasize this.....


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: debbiebi have also noticed if i give him any anti-inflammatories at this point it totally effects his mobility. anti-inflammatories block nerve receptors, which is already whats happening with the spondylosis so the meds Really emphasize this.....


That's weird....and good to know.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

this was scarey when i first noticed it. in the last year or so, if i thought he needed an occasional few days of Anti-inflammatory i would give him some. at first i noticed it wasn;t helping, in fact i thought he looked worse. thought it was my imagination. then every once in a while if i thought he was having a bad day i'd give him one., and things got worse......stands to reason as i said above the Anti's block nerve pain receptors.....So unfortunately buffered asprin is the only thing i give him if i think he needs something, but at this point i don't think there is much pain. it kinda just makes me feel better,,,,,


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

getting old sucks.....


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

yea, sad to watch them go downhill.................... It will be one SAD day when i lose this boy. not sure i will even be in any shape to post about it......


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

I hear you. If Indy passes suddenly from her heart condition, I have been wondering how I will be able to make the call to her vet about making arrangements for her cremation. I don't think I will be able to say any words.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i hear ya........Lisa, i wonder the same thing with Toby being 14 and failing........i don't know how i;m gonna get through it........
i hope we aren't being a downer for Mia's mom.........just a subject all us senior owners think about often, and at the same time really try not to....


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Sorry Mia's Mom, we did kinda hijack the thread.


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## Shadowhoffen (Dec 17, 2009)

Just joined the forum and sympathize with the whole spondylosis thing. Baron was diagnosed this past March, at 11 yrs. old. He's always been healthy (except for the ground hornet thing at 9mos. and he almost died) and the vet has always been impressed with his 125lbs. of lean muscle, and beautiful coat. He had also developed severe arthritis in both hips and cataracts in both eyes







His weight had dropped to 115. good for the hips but bad because it was basically muscle ... from the waist up he looks his big, oafy self, but the backend is so skinny. Interesting to see the "drunk" walking you all spoke of, as he does that as well.
It's sad to walk behind him coming up the steps outside from hubby's shop .... sometimes I don't think he's gonna make it. He's a happy, loving boy and still loves for me to throw balls/toys for him to retrieve. I just throw them gently now ...
Happy I found this site because it's nice to know I'm not alone


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Welcome to the site, sorry to hear what a tough time Baron is having.


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## Katerlena (May 30, 2008)

My Kater struggled with DM for over 2 years and died about a week shy of her 14th bday. My boy is 9 and had spinal surgery several years ago so hes still has hind limb issues and physical limitations and I feel like I have been watching my german shepherds walk in front of me for the past 5 years and my spirits rise and fall with how good they are walking that day. So I truly relate to everyones posts here.

Mia we never ended up with a wheelchair for Kater. She had pretty strong front legs too so she was able to shift and pull herself around (and she wasn't the type of dog that would have adapted to a wheelchair but many dogs too). We gave her all the supplement on Dr Clemmons Univ of Florida website like vitamin E (have you checked that out) and gave her Zubrin and joint supplements (which we also give our boy). For about a year when my boy came home from the hospital I had him on a sling I got from the vet. I thnk there are some good harnesses out there too--you will find a lot of good info on this website and lots of folks who completely understand what you are going thru. Regards


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Kater....I feel like I have been watching my german shepherds walk in front of me for the past 5 years and my spirits rise and fall with how good they are walking that day. ......


Isn't that the truth....


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## Shadowhoffen (Dec 17, 2009)

Thanks Lisa .... we have 4 of them and it was so much fun when they were younger. It just never occurred to me they would grow old and have aging issues. It is breaking my heart. I'm happy he's been healthy and had a good quality of life this long. We'll adapt and do what's gotta be done.
My girl, Tala, is 10 and she has incontinence issues, as well as hypothyroid and arthritis in her front left wrist ... it looks like half a tennis ball in there. She doesn't let is stop her. She's having trouble with her backend now as well .... but she's still Queen of her domain .... they are all so precious


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

4 seniors at the same time? Ouch, that's tough. I have two seniors here now, and that's difficult enough!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

LisaT said:


> 4 seniors at the same time? Ouch, that's tough. I have two seniors here now, and that's difficult enough!


My previous two were seniors at the same time... It was so hard, and then I lost them within three months of each other and I swore I'd never have dogs that close in age again. They were 2-3 years apart but since the older one was much smaller it was like they were the same age, in "dog years".


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## blord (Feb 14, 2009)

I'm so glad I saw this post. Ellie was diagnosed with spondylosis two weeks ago. Happy to hear about the successes. Also, it's good to know about the anti-inflammatories. My vet said to just give her the buffered aspirin if she seems like she's in pain (which we now know what that looks like after all kinds of tests thinking she was seriously ill, but she was just hiding and not eating due to pain - at least that's what we decided it was after all the negative test results). I can also relate about the watching them get older. Ellie is 11 and I think I will have to be admitted somewhere when she goes. She is my first dog ever and I feel like when she goes she will also be my last. Not sure if my heart would be able to take it again. This is coming from someone who would much rather see a person die in a movie than an animal. Still haven't read/seen Old Yeller, Marlie and Me, etc. Still haven't gotten another cat since ours died 8 years ago. Yes, I have issues!  
Mia, my heart goes out to you and I hope things work out for you and your pup. I think the wheelchair sounds like a great idea and love that you are the kind of person who can realize that unusable hind legs to not necessarily mean the end. I had a disease in my hips as a child and had to wear a funky brace for 4 years/24 hrs a day. Couldn't really walk without it. Glad my parents didn't put me down!!


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## Stacey4747 (Mar 19, 2010)

*anti-inflam meds making things worse???*

I just started learning about this last night when my 13 yr old german shepherd (Sadie) had no use of her back legs. This morning she was the same but then actually could walk some on her own this afternoon. She has been on anti-inflam for 10 days (30mg every 12 hours of Prednisone).

She was at the vet for something else and they put her on this because of her back legs... but nothing like this had ever happened. She would fall on our wood floors occasionally, but we never had to help her up from laying down, her legs were weak, etc... typical stuff for an old big dog. 

I was suppossed to lower her meds (before this happened) today to 30mg once a day. When I called the vet to tell her what happened she said to keep her on 30mg every 12 hours for the next 5 days. But I found it very interesting about the comments that the anti-inflam meds can make things worse... this sounds exactly like what happened to Sadie!!! I read that it's bad to just stop the med so i plan on lowering the dose and see if she gets better. 

3 years ago Rimadyl-Carprofen killed my sweet 13 yr old Siberian Husky. I suspected back then but am now convinced after reading up on these meds the past few days!!! I am terrified of these meds for my shephard but want to help her! I am going to check out the doctor in Fl... do you think Sadie is too far to benefit?


I would love any advise! Thanks so much!
Stacey
Tulsa


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

If the meds are making her worse, I would wean very quickly. I don't know how quickly you can do it and still be safe though. Follow your instinct.

I also don't think it's too late to try the DM supplements and meds. You won't know the response until you try, since every dog is so individual.

The medicine flagyl actually paralyzed my mixed breed temporarily. The fact that Sadie got better some is very encouraging.

Best of luck, I sure hope you can get her some help!


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