A DM carrier can also have it - Page 1

My girl is quickly showing the DM signs. Her genes said a test was just that of a carrier, but just watching her it does not take a top vet surgeon to see those horrible signs. A top vet just saw them and said we'd be lucky to reach Dec. Her blood was sent about a month ago to the U of MO.

Very sorry. Did you do an MRI? I assume you'll do a necropsy to confirm it was DM and not CE? All the best to you and your girl in your remaining time together.

The odds of that happening are extremely slim although it can happen! Doesn't lesson the blow to know that though. Always hard to have to see our 4 legged pack members have to suffer and all we can do when this happens is show them the love they deserve to make their their passing as comfortable as we can. Best wishes to you and your family and your girl!

Very sorry about your dog. I just lost my DM GSD a couple weeks ago. From her first signs we battled DM for almost three years. I highly recommend this Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DMDogs/

Lots of information and very supportive members.

If you have questions I would be happy to answer any that I can.

Is your vet's December prediction on how long she would be walking or on how long she would survive?  Dogs can go much longer after being down in back with the help of carts and harnesses.  It depends on how far you are willing/able to go with your dog.

I didn't know this could happen... I'm sorry this has happened, but thank you for sharing so the rest of us could learn.

Enjoy the time you have with her... it is always too short.

I took her to the world known brain and spine vet surgeon. Knew it would cost an arm and two legs and it did.

He did an MRI and then three tests and found something about one spot. He has put her on a strong antibiotic first for two weeks and now for 45 days. That item has cost the second arm.

She sat down in some fox tails and I had her shaved down to the skin on her backside. I can see her walk better with her bare legs and lion tail.

She seems to be walking better each day. But we have about another 35 days to go. Have not seen her ortho vet since the pills were started.

Do not ask me for more details as I cannot give them and I am loving having my girl minute by minute as that is all I can do now.

I am so lucky to have the brain/spine vet surgeon. So even with that death sentence I have not given up even though the cost is so great.

She looks for the can of cat food with the huge pill hidden in it in the morning. At night it is in her dinner.

So try a spine specialist if your dog is diagnosed with DM. Mine might still have it along with a spine issue. Taking all with one day at a time. As this vet said, 4% get it even if thought to be only carrying the gene.

I am so sorry. Enjoy your girl while you can.

Alamance, I'm glad you were able to pursue additional diagnostics--if you're in an area with foxtails, it's not out of the realm of possibility that one of them migrated through the skin and to the spinal canal...she wouldn't be the first dog that have that occur.

That she's steadily improving while on the antibiotic strongly suggests that the DM diagnosis was quite likely in error--antibiotics have zero effect on DM signalment or progression.

We should enjoy all of our dogs while we can, since we can't know what tomorrow will bring either us or them. I'm going to hope that your girl continues to improve and fully recovers, though, so you'll have more time to enjoy with her.

My Slovak male had DM , he started getting it at 8.5 years old. Started on the right side, turned under his toes then the other side went ...poor dog.. He was DM clear.. My vet said there are much more testing of gene's that needs to be done
. Sad !! It's very heartbreaking!!

Remember, all, that unless the dog has died and a necropsy was performed, you can't say unequivocally that the dog had DM. Jenni already posted one of the DM mimics (cauda equina) in a recent thread. Vets can say that it looks like DM, but actual diagnosis is done postmortem on the spinal cord. No genetic test is perfect, but the results are not wrong until/unless you have a necropsy and pathology-confirmed DM.