Dog with Degenerative Myelopathy - how did you know it was time?

[luvavacation]

I have an 8 year old German Shepherd. She was officially diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy (dog version of Lou Gehrig's Disease) in February after DNA testing, but I had noticed something was wrong with her gait last September/October.

I am not sure which stage she is at now, but her back legs are very weak and she trips over them, her bark has started changing and becoming more hoarse/yippy (like a small dog's bark) and she is occasionally losing her power of bowel movements. She can no longer hop up onto things, and she used to get on the sofa every night when we would go to bed (even though she wasn't allowed to when we were awake!). When she walks now, her body is in the shape of "J", not a straight body, so her right back leg, the strongest back leg, can push forward.

She is still happy, eager to visit my neighbor and his cows and receive a fresh egg everyday, wants very much to play with her brother Shepherd (but she doesn't have the strength to play like they used to), is beyond happy when we come home from even a 15 minute visit at the neighbor, etc. Also, she still loves jumping into the pool, though she only swims a small circle now and then just sits on the steps as her brother does his happy laps around the pool.

The nights and first thing in the morning are her hardest. She has a very hard time getting up, and she just can't seem to find her back legs to steady herself. We have had to walk her outside by carrying her under the back hips, but she just can't seem to find the strength to go forward.

During the day, when she is more active, she gets up a bit more easily.

We have tried the wheelchair option, but she can't relieve herself and, she just won't use it. No wheelchair for her.

There are times I look at her, and she seems to be very down. There is no sparkle in her eyes. She doesn't always get up now to chase a squirrel or try to lick one of the cats as they walk by. Her brother is confused and has become very needy with attention from us humans because he senses something is wrong with his sister (I know, I am giving them human traits, but if you have ever been loved by pets, you know there is something happening in their brains!).

No one in the family feels it is time for her to go yet, and we all need to be onboard when it comes to the passing of a pet, but we do realize the day is coming.

We have a family trip coming up very soon that can not be canceled. Multiple people going that I have organized. Our house/pet sitter is great, she will be here most of the day and all night, the animals all know her well, she has been here before, and she is aware of how our dog is. I am sure that, if something happened, she would do what needed to be done, but I don't want to leave her with that responsibility. And, I would feel so devastated if my dog had to die and I wasn't there to cradle her face as she breathed her last.

A month ago, I didn't believe she would still be with us. But she seems to have adapted to her limitations, and still finds happiness in her day. She doesn't seem like a dog that should be put to sleep any time soon.

I guess I just need to know, from those that have gone through this before, do we have more time? I realize DM has no timeline, but if she is still happy for the most part, and her front legs are still working, the Previcox is helping with muscle pain, and she still enjoys trying to scare the UPS guy (though at a much slower pace to the gate), will there still be a chance she is with us in a couple weeks?

I know some will say that we should cancel our trip and stay home with the dog. I love my animals, they are my family, but at some point, the humans do take precedence, and when so much is involved for the humans, tough decisions have to be made. My dog will be home, with her dog and cat siblings, with a dog sitter that loves her too, and she knows well, and she will still have her cows next door and fresh eggs daily from the neighbor. She will be well taken care of. I just look for hope that she will still have more time.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Enjoy the time you have with her now, especially where she won't use the wheels. (?? Which surprises me. What type are they?) It's progressive, and will get worse with time, but she's not likely to die anytime soon on her on, save for other things going on with her. Most of the time, people have to make a decision. Some people feel it's best to go out early, when it starts, and some prefer to give them as much time as is possible, especially given that they're not usually in pain. As my vet explained to me, they're "numb" in the rear and they can't feel much back there. There are some products that will help you assist her with walking, such as the strap you can put under her belly. We found that taking the dog out regularly to go to the bathroom was helpful to avoid accidents, i.e. before their bladder gets overly full, because they can't control holding it anymore. It is a hard time, and I don't envy you. As you might remember, our last two GSDs have had it, and it not only wore me out, it broke my heart. One we had to PTS, the other died at home, on her wheels out in the yard, chasing her ball.

 

[rwdavis2]

What's the vet say? Is the dog in pain? Even though they may be happy doing some things they may still be in pain. Our Sheltie had several fast-growing tumors over the years and at age 12 we decided no more surgery to remove it. It had grown from a small lump to about the size of 1/2 a football in 4 months. Even though he enjoyed moving around the yard his last day, it was still time. He had started to bite and lick the tumor which made it bleed.

 

[luvavacation]

Pea-n-me, I am sorry you had this twice, and I thank you for sharing your experience.

My girl is not the typical confident GSD, and the wheels scare her. She just freezes. We even took her up to a vet hospital in our state (that our vet recommended), where research is being done on DM (had her info added to the database, and this is where the DNA testing took place), and they tried various devices, but she just wouldn't relax. However, I did learn great massage techniques for her, so at least we have that.

I can only pray that when her time comes, it is while doing something she loves. Laying by the fence being licked by her favorite cow would be the perfect way for her to go. My choice would certainly be easier and my heart would be thrilled if this was how she left us.

rwdavis2, the vet says she is not in pain from the DM, but her muscles in her chest and front legs are sore from being used so much for movement. She is on the Previcox to help the muscular soreness.

I have had dogs and cats that have suffered from tumours, and it is so heartbreaking to know they are hurting, but when their end arrives it can be much more obvious as the pain increases. Right now, since there isn't any pain with the DM itself, we just wait for my girl to decide if is too much effort to keep trying, and I wish I knew how far away we are from where the progression of this reaches that point for the dog. I realize there is not an actual date, and each dog is different, but does the end come soon after the dog starts walking like a "J", or does the dog keep going for another two months and then the front legs give out? Is there still time for her?

I guess only my dog knows that answer. Well, at least she is enjoying the chicken and steaks I am cooking for her! Maybe that's why she is still here!

 

[mkb3]

Dealt with the same issue last month. Though our dog seemed happy at times, our vet said instinctually they try to hide pain. Our vet showed us some physical tests and our dogs reaction to show the pain they were enduring. While we made the decision to put him down for the week following we felt we made a horrible choice. I researched outside of my vets opinion hoping for closure and found a ton of information confirming what our vet had stated and that we made the right choice. I miss him daily, but I didn't want him to be in pain for my benefit.