I believe my boxer has degenerative myelopathy. Has anyone had a dog with this condition?

Sorry I can't give you much -- I had a 6 y.o. Great Dane growing up who had this issue. Odd thing was, there was no sign at all until one night, we found her collapsed in a small hole that one of the other dogs had dug. Apparently she didn't see it in the dark and tripped into it. Her hind end just quit when it hit the ground...no other warning, no wobbliness, nothing.

We took her to the ER Vet and had the tests run, and they confirmed degenerative myelopathy and said she was paralyzed. We couldn't imagine her quality of life -- at her size -- with no mobility, so we put her down. Very unexpected, very shocking.

Maybe not helpful, maybe not what you wanted to hear, but that has been my only experience.

Degenerative Myelopathy In Boxers

There are no treatments that have been clearly shown to stop or slow progression of 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 discovery of a gene that identifies dogs at risk for developing degenerative myelopathy could pave the way for therapeutic trials to prevent the disease from developing. Meanwhile, 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.

Yes, my German Shepherd Toby recently passed away from kidney failure, but he had DM for the past 2 years. Dogs can continue to have a happy life after this diagnosis with proper care.

I found wonderful support at this Yahoo Group: 'degenerativemyelopathylist' I included the link below.

Exercise and vitamin supplements can delay the progression of the disease. Toby went for hydrotherapy once a week and it helped him a lot.

I also included the link to Dr. Clemmons web site on DM. He is one of the leading researching doctors for this disease. You will find lots of good info on his site.

Please note that a myelogram is an invasive test, and some dogs come out of the test worse, paralysis is a potential side effect.

I hope to see you on the Yahoo list, you will get lots of good info and support there. This is a difficult thing to go through.

Hugs,

Leslie

PS, please note that DM is NOT a painful disease. Since it causes the nerves in the spine to essentially go dead, most dogs are NOT in pain. You do NOT need to put your dog to sleep!

DM is something many Boxers have diagnosed each year. it is NOT a death sentence though. I suggest looking into acquiring a dog cart. The cart will suspend the lower half of the dog in a natural position so the dog can use the rear wheels to run around with instead of the legs. I have a forum friend with a DM Boxer who has acclimated to his cart quite nicely. You can read his story and ask his Mom about the cart.

www.boxertalk.org ....just search for key word "Jack" and you should find his story.

Unfortunately,these carts were not widely available when my Boxer Ginger had DM. We used a towel under her belly to help support her walking on her weak days.

I don't have a dog with the disease, but I've seen several cases. Some can be treated with certain vitamin supplements, so ask your vet about this. There is no cure, just supportive care.

my brother just put his dog to sleep because of this disease. you need to take your dog to the vet. they should do xrays to make sure it isnt a disc problem, but the only way to diagnose myelopathy is through a myelogram and/ or an mri. it is non curable, but sometimes the progression of it can be slowed down using anabolic steroids such as winstrol- v.

go to the vet.

My Daughter's boxer had this and the vet told her this is very common in boxers and it would be very costly to keep Pugsley alive. He was wobbling when he walked and whined when he tried to jump on things and would fall over real easy and run into walls and things. He was actually in pain so she had him put to sleep. He was 4 years old. She just went out and bought another boxer because she loves boxers.

Why haven't you taken your pooch to the vet yet? Yes you've read a lot of stuff on the Internet but that doe not take the place of a diagnosis from a vet. Do your dog a favor, take him to the doctor!