Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive neurological disease that gradually worsens a dog's mobility and quality of life by affecting the spinal cord. Typically, this condition progressively reduces the function of nerves responsible for controlling movement in dogs.
Degenerative myelopathy interrupts the connection between your dog's brain and their hind limbs, leading to the loss of function in the hind legs. This condition is almost always genetic and tends to appears in senior dogs rather than younger dogs.
While there isn't a cure for degenerative myelopathy, there are supportive steps you can take to help sustain quality of life. Let's take a deeper look at degenerative myelopathy, what you can do to support your dog who has it, and how much you can reasonably expect to avoid the worst symptoms.
Understanding Degenerative Myelopathy in Dogs
Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive, genetic, spinal disease. It's often compared to Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) in humans.
A key aspect of this disease is the fact that the myelin sheath around the nerves begins to breakdown, making it more difficult for electrical signals to communicate between the brain and hind legs.
You may notice the early signs of weakness, progressing into lack of coordination, and finally causing paralysis of the back legs. These signs tend to show up in dogs roughly 8 to 14 years old, even if these dogs show no signs earlier in life.
Degenerative Myelopathy is Painless, but Debilitating
Fortunately, your dog isn't likely to experience any pain directly from their degenerative myelopathy.
Still, it often accompanies other mobility issues in dogs like arthritis, hip dysplasia, and more, making it difficult to diagnose at times. To make things more complicated, breeds that are very vulnerable to arthritis and hip dysplasia, such as German Shepherds, are also vulnerable to degenerative myelopathy.
What Can Be Done for Dogs with Degenerative Myelopathy?
We can break support for degenerative myelopathy into two categories; preventative and maintenance.
There are a handful of things you can do for your dog to give them the best chance of maintaining quality of life if they develop degenerative myelopathy, as well as things you can do to maintain their quality of life as long as possible after they've been diagnosed.
Keep in mind that there is no cure, but there have been a lot of success stories of dogs who have maintained a decent quality of life after diagnosis, even avoiding paralysis in some cases.
Even if your dog's hind legs do become paralyzed, there are modern options that can keep them moving, just with a little help. Let's take a look.
Supportive Measures for Degenerative Myelopathy in Dogs
"Preventative" measures, in this case, can be considered anticipatory. If you're anticipating degenerative myelopathy, these things can help your dog maintain strength and function for longer than they would if you didn't take any measures.
If your dog's mobility health is bolstered in advance of a diagnosis, they'll be better able manage their mobility and freedom for longer.
1. Regular, Low Impact Exercise
Exercise is the best way to keep your dog's mobility health in great shape. You don't want to overdo it, though, so it's best to stick to long walks & bursts of energy. Avoid long runs or extreme play sessions that put a lot of ware on your dog's joints.
Swimming is an excellent exercise as well, as this puts almost no pressure on your dog's joints. Ensure that your dog is getting regular, low-impact exercise daily.
Range of motion stretches and exercises are also options that can reduce stiffness and support your dog's recovery after exercise.
2. Weight Management
If your dog is overweight and develops degenerative myelopathy, it will be very difficult for them to manage their quality of life. Overweight dogs tend to experience issues like joint stiffness and mobility loss at higher rates as well.
If you're worried about degenerative myelopathy and your dog is overweight, it's time to start cutting calories and increasing exercise. Give them the best shot at staying healthy for the longest period of time - that should start now.
3. Joint Supplements (Glucosamine, CBD, Green-Lipped Mussel)
Some hip & joint supplements for dogs have a lot of promising research, and can contribute to a higher quality of life, less discomfort, and stronger joints in many cases.
While supplements aren't cures, they can offer support when given in the proper dosages over. You can offer your pet joint supplements before and after a degenerative myelopathy diagnosis.
It's a great idea to start them on a hip and joint regimen early to bolster their joint health and help trim away the early issues associated with various mobility struggles. When your dog is more comfortable, they'll likely run more, play more, and feel better as they do it.
Utilizing their joints more often will allow them to maintain strength, and this can help them moving forward after a degenerative myelopathy diagnosis.
4. Home Support (Wheelchairs, Accessible Homes, Booties)
For dogs prone to joint issues like degenerative myelopathy, setting your home up in an accessible way can make their lives much easier.
- You can cover wooden or slippery floors with rugs, yoga mats, and other items that help grip. If your dog isn't slipping when they get up, their joints won't have to undergo a great deal of strain.
- You can also give them booties while they're in the house, and this improves grip on all surfaces.
- Set up ramps to commonly used areas like couches or beds to prevent them from jumping and putting undue stress on joints, and reducing the likelihood of injuries.
- For dogs with extremely limited mobility, hind-leg wheelchairs can be extremely helpful. Degenerative myelopathy tends to start in the hind legs, staying there for along period of time before moving forward toward the front legs. For the years that your dog's hind legs are the only ones affected, a wheelchair can be the best thing for them.
Conclusion
Degenerative myelopathy is a challenging diagnosis for your dog to get. You can rest easy knowing that it won't cause them pain, but it still poses a significant obstacle to their overall wellbeing as they age.
If untreated, dogs with degenerative myelopathy will likely lose all mobility and, potentially, become paralyzed. Your veterinarian will work with you to find options for maintenance and management to keep their mobility intact as long as possible.
Be sure to discuss the idea of CBD oil with your veterinarian, especially if your dog's DM is accompanied by other causes of joint discomfort.
