What is canine degenerative myelopathy?
Canine degenerative myelopathy is an incurable, progressive disease of the canine spinal cord. It initially affects the back legs and causes muscle weakness and loss and lack of coordination. It occurs in dogs older than 5 years old and is strongly associated with a gene mutation in SOD1.
Degenerative myelopathy symptoms
Early Stages
Canine degenerative myelopathy is an irreversible, progressive disease that cannot currently be cured. There are no treatments that been clearly shown to stop or slow progression of the disease. During the early stages, a wheelchair is beneficial for mobility.
Prognosis
The long term prognosis is poor and most dogs are euthanized within 6 months to 3 years of diagnosis as the disease progresses. When the dog can no longer walk, a wheelchair is no longer an option, long term hospice care or euthanasia should be considered.
Canine degenerative myelopathy is an incurable, progressive disease of the canine spinal cord. It initially affects the back legs and causes muscle weakness and loss and lack of coordination. It occurs in dogs older than 5 years old and is strongly associated with a gene mutation in SOD1.
Degenerative myelopathy symptoms
Early Stages
- Progressive weakness of the hind limbs
- Worn nails
- Difficulty rising
- Stumbling
- Knuckling of the toes
- Scuffing hind feet
- Wearing of the inner digits of the rear paws
- Loss of muscle in the rear legs
- Tremors of the rear legs
- Persistent early stages
- Urinary and fecal incontinence
- Eventual front leg weakness from compensatory strain
- Mental stress and anxiety
- Pressure sores on boney prominences
- Inability to rise
- Muscle atrophy
- Poor hygiene - soiled appearance
- Pneumonia
- Depression
- Infection/sepsis
- Constipation
- Organ failure
- Difficulty breathing
- Prolonged seizures
- Uncontrollable vomiting/diarrhea
- Sudden collapse
- Profuse bleeding — internal or external
- Crying/whining from pain
Canine degenerative myelopathy is an irreversible, progressive disease that cannot currently be cured. There are no treatments that been clearly shown to stop or slow progression of the disease. During the early stages, a wheelchair is beneficial for mobility.
Prognosis
The long term prognosis is poor and most dogs are euthanized within 6 months to 3 years of diagnosis as the disease progresses. When the dog can no longer walk, a wheelchair is no longer an option, long term hospice care or euthanasia should be considered.
RSS Feed