# DM



## klob52 (Nov 7, 2021)

I'm not one to post on forums and a matter of fact this is my first post on this website. Five years ago, after my wife and I got married, we brought home our little puppy Jedrek. He is a great dog, very attentive, active, and quite chatty. Three years ago, my wife and I moved to a new state to pursue careers after college, my wife a career in health care and myself a career in agriculture. While my wife has done excellent at her new job, I have not been so fortunate. I've been having a lot of issues with anxiety and depression, which started at work and has eventually bleed into the relationship I have with my wife. Everyday though, Jedrek has been there for me. Greeting me at the door with a wagging tail and almost tackling me in excitement. He has been my rock and best friend. 

Three months ago, the wife and I were in the vets office concerned about Jedrek's hips, the xrays we had recently gotten done, and the odd fact that his back inner nails were very worn down. He had always seemed to have issues with his back legs, after heavy play sessions Jedrek would always get sore and sometimes yelp in pain. The next day though he would recover and go about life chasing balls with the same intense ambition he always had. I've always been concerned about hip dysplasia with Jedrek and its presence in GSDs, so when the vet told us that Jedrek didn't have that condition, I was relieved and elated. The vet went on to state that it is likely myelopathy and that its is also a common issue in GSDs. Myself, still relieved by the good news that Jedrek did not have dysplasia, never bothered to ask any questions about this "M" word and what it meant. I was just happy he didn't have that dysplasia I was all too concerned with. My wife being smart enough to ask "What do we do with that disease?" and got a response from the vet "Well what does Jedrek like to do?". My wife answered with "Play Fetch." and the vet said "Do that.". I thought to myself, easy enough and we left the vets office in a positive mood, again to ignorant to ask any questions or do any research about this "M" word.

Months have passed and I began to put in my seasonal overtime working 60+ hours a week, working weekends and generally giving less time and focus to my family.

This Thursday, my wife and I took Jedrek for walk. He was scuffing his toes against the concrete quite alot. When we finished our walk, I noticed one of Jedrek's back toe had began to bleed heavily. I check his toe and noticed it was his nail, while my wife wrapped it in a bandage. I went to the computer, looking for an easy answer on how to prevent Jedrek from wearing down his nails so much. The first thing that popped up after searching "Toe scuffing in dogs" was that "M" word again, this time it had a "D" word in front of it. Forgetting what word the vet had told us, I kept searching in disbelief that such a serious issue would be afflicting my puppy. The next day, while at work alone in a farm field, it finally dawned on me what the vet had told us. I began to research this "M" word again, coming across an old blog telling a story of degenative myelopathy. Everything that was written in that blog was happening verbatim to my poor puppy. My wife texted me soon after, stating that she got her covid booster and was worried about the side affects. I never responded to her covid booster concerns, just replied, "I think Jedrek has Degenative Myelopathy." and sent her the internet link i had found. A little while after, when work permitted her, my wife called me, she initially tried to dissuade me from believing what I read on the internet. I began to speak but barely, I couldn't, I started choking up. She asked if I was crying, I said yes, we both then started to cry. Quickly there after, someone entered my wives office and the phone call had to end. We went back to putting on our work faces. I went through the rest of the day, crying on and off at random times, trying to get done what I needed to get done before dark and before the in-field season work ended. I came home that night, greeted by my Jedrik, tail wagging and attempting to tackle me. But that night, I noticed his powerful tail wasn't as powerful as it use to be, and his attempts to tackle and lick me were also not as strong as days passed.

Today, as we took Jedrek to the reservoir to romp and play. I began to to get hyper-attentive to the symptoms of "DM" he may be showing. I'm afraid. I don't know what to do. I love my puppy but I'm afraid to see him degrade. I'm afraid to see him loose the ability to do what he loves to do. Last night I was confident we could take care of him long into it as it progressed. Now today, I just don't know if I can take another day of it. Its only gunna get worse. I don't know. I don't know if I can handle loosing him at all. He means so much to us, and he is only 5 years old. The last two years have been difficult for me and I don't know what decision will make it worse.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

klob52 said:


> I'm not one to post on forums and a matter of fact this is my first post on this website. Five years ago, after my wife and I got married, we brought home our little puppy Jedrek. He is a great dog, very attentive, active, and quite chatty. Three years ago, my wife and I moved to a new state to pursue careers after college, my wife a career in health care and myself a career in agriculture. While my wife has done excellent at her new job, I have not been so fortunate. I've been having a lot of issues with anxiety and depression, which started at work and has eventually bleed into the relationship I have with my wife. Everyday though, Jedrek has been there for me. Greeting me at the door with a wagging tail and almost tackling me in excitement. He has been my rock and best friend.
> 
> Three months ago, the wife and I were in the vets office concerned about Jedrek's hips, the xrays we had recently gotten done, and the odd fact that his back inner nails were very worn down. He had always seemed to have issues with his back legs, after heavy play sessions Jedrek would always get sore and sometimes yelp in pain. The next day though he would recover and go about life chasing balls with the same intense ambition he always had. I've always been concerned about hip dysplasia with Jedrek and its presence in GSDs, so when the vet told us that Jedrek didn't have that condition, I was relieved and elated. The vet went on to state that it is likely myelopathy and that its is also a common issue in GSDs. Myself, still relieved by the good news that Jedrek did not have dysplasia, never bothered to ask any questions about this "M" word and what it meant. I was just happy he didn't have that dysplasia I was all too concerned with. My wife being smart enough to ask "What do we do with that disease?" and got a response from the vet "Well what does Jedrek like to do?". My wife answered with "Play Fetch." and the vet said "Do that.". I thought to myself, easy enough and we left the vets office in a positive mood, again to ignorant to ask any questions or do any research about this "M" word.
> 
> ...


Your vet is a donkey! It would be exceptionally odd for a five year old dog to have DM. It is a late onset disease and normally symptoms do not appear until 8 or even later. You can easily rule it out with a cheek swab. Have your vet x ray his spine! Spinal issues are extremely common in the breed and generally treatable.


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## Clipper (May 7, 2021)

A friend's dog was wrongly diagnosed with DM. We took him to an orthopedic who said is was arthritis. We order a test from OFA and it did not test positive for DM. Go to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals website for info and how to order a test kit if you wish.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I know it's hard, but what choices are there? Just love your dog and give him the best life he can have...


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## Orphan Heidi (Sep 21, 2018)

I've had older dogs with DM and younger dogs with hip or spinal problems. There ARE things you can try regardless of what your dog has. 
First, I kept all those affected dogs on a good quality multi-vitamin-mineral supplement. It helps their overhaul heath and their immune system. Right now I'm using Nutri-Vet Senior-Vite chewables- 3 per day and my dog gobbles them like candy.
Also ask your vet about Adequan shots. They really helped my DM shepherd in the beginning of her problem.
Also I used all kinds of good quality Joint supplements with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM.
Right now I'm using Cosequin DS. It also has some mild pain releivers like boswelia.
All these supplements are available on Amazon.
Keep your dog on good quality food. It does help.
At 5 yrs. old, I would be more inclined to guess hip or spinal problems due to poor conformation.
Whenever an activity makes my dog sore, like ball playing, I limit that activity to just a few minutes.
Jumping and running and stopping is very hard on hips and joints.
I wouldn't jump to DM unless proven by testing. But also hip/spinal problems are very common in the breed.
I hope you can find something that helps your dog and you get better information. Hip x-rays usually prove or disprove if it's conformation problems.


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## Buckelke (Sep 4, 2019)

We lost Ellie to DM so we've BTDT and it does not sound like that is what you are dealing with. I agree, it sounds more like the spinal arthritis we had with Max. ( I am NOT a vet). It USED to be that these things were treated with pain medication and supplements for the arthritis and nothing for the DM (it is painless, but hard to watch). DM can be confirmed by a DNA test with a health profile, it is genetic. We're waiting on our old girl's now, she seemed a little clumsy a month or so ago. DM is treatable now. It seems it is related to ALS in humans so a lot of research is being done but you'll need a diagnosis to be sure. Good place to start learning:








Degenerative Myelopathy in Canines - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals


Degenerative Myelopathy is a debilitating disease that causes gradual paralysis in many dog breeds. Order a test to check your canine for this condition.




www.ofa.org




We use Embark for the DNA test, it's Cornell U's vet school:








Embark Dog DNA Test | Most Accurate Breed Identification‎ | Highest Reviewed Online


Only Embark offers the most scientifically advanced dog DNA test, with research-grade technology that powers health discoveries for all dogs.




embarkvet.com




DM is a slow process, like I said, hard to watch the dog struggle with the back end, but it is painless so as long as the dog is willing to fight it, it can be years; not time to say goodbye just yet. Max developed the arthritis around 7, he lived to about 16. It took Ellie about 3 years to give up once it was obvious something was wrong and she was estimated to be in her teens, maybe as old as 15, my tough old girl. 

I think you need to do more research and find a vet who might be a little more up to date, research the genetics and get the x-rays. Spending a little money for the diagnosis and quality food and supplements could get you many more years with your best bud.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Prayer heading up for you and you, Jedrek and your wife. 
You'll get some good advice here, follow it and keep the faith; your dog is a fighter and you have to be too.


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## hirakawa199006 (Feb 9, 2020)

Isnt this a HD problem? Have another vet x ray the hip


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