[ SHOWGSD-L ] Degenerative myelopathy
- From: "Pam Brink" <pamb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2006 06:15:19 -0600
My 7 year old bitch has just started dragging her right hind leg with no
indication of pain so my first thought was DM. We took X-rays of her back
which my vet thought was suspicious and we sent the X-rays to an orthopedic
clinic in Calgary-they did have a radiologist who absconded to the states
for better pay-and the tentative diagnosis was either cauda equina disease
or a disk problem. They will not give me a definitive diagnosis until they
have done an MRI which we are trying to schedule as most vets use the human
MRI machine after the humans have been booked for the day which means
midnight bookings for big dogs. In discussions with the radiologist and
orthopedic surgeons at the Saskatchewan vet college they confirmed the
tentative diagnosis and the diagnostic procedures to follow. Both consults
were asked about DM and both replied, without discussing it with each other,
that they no longer give a diagnosis of DM as they rarely find it any more
with the more sophisticated diagnostic techniques. They have found that
usually the problem is either cauda equina or a disk. In addition they
rarely do myelograms any more as they said the frequently get a false
negative from myelograms while the MRI is the best diagnostic tool they have
to rule out DM and disk problems. They can do surgery to correct both
problems (cauda equina and disks) and the quoted recovery rate for pets is
about 95% while the recovery rate for working dogs such as the police and
search and rescue who have to do a lot of jumping is around 50%.
Diagnostic procedures and surgery are expensive but the outcome of
non-intervention is escalating pain and deterioration.
I suggest your friend get another opinion on her dog and not just accept the
diagnosis of DM.
Pam Brink
pamb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://clubweb.interbaun.com/pamb/Index.htm
Msg: #3 in digest
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2006 20:16:09 -0500 (CDT)
From: Kris Kudel <vomkristallaugen@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Degenerative Myelopathy
Can anyone help..... my good friends 9 yr old GSD has been diagnose with
this. The vet didn't tell her much other than it is incurable. She is
asking advice.... and I am asking anyone with knowledge or even personal
experience with it to please contact me.
I have read about it in the Red Book, but was wondering if anyone knew
anything after that published.......
Thanks in Advance and my friend thanks you
Kris Kudel
Kamelot
Shepherds UPDATED http://mysite.verizon.net/krisbob1/
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