What is Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)?
Degenerative Myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord. It usually occurs in dogs between the ages of 7 and 14. The disease is chronic and progressive resulting in paralysis. It is caused by the dog's immune system attacking the sheath(myelin) in the spinal cord which results in a loss of communication between the nerves in the lower body and the brain.
Symptoms
DM initially effects the back legs and causes muscle weakness and lack of coordination. Pain does not appear to be a symptom . The dog may drag one or both rear paws when it walks resulting in the nails of one or both feet to worn down. It may also lead to paralysis of the hind legs. As it progresses symptoms such as difficulties walking, loss of balance, lack of coordination in the hind legs and incontinence will be present. The disease usually progresses slowly but could lead to paralysis in a few months or a year.
Causes
Known causes of spinal cord dysfunction should be excluded before accepting the diagnosis of DM. Disc disease of spinal cord tumors can cause compression of the spinal cord with similar signs.
Treatment
DM is a non reversible disease and cannot be cured, there are no treatments that have clearly shown to stop or slow progressions of DM. Although there are a number of approaches that have been tried or recommended on the internet, no scientific evidence exists that they work. Exercise has been recommended to maintain the ability to walk. Swimming may be more useful. The quality of life of an affected dog can be improved by measures such as physical rehabilitation, pressure sore prevention, monitoring for urinary infections, and ways to increase mobility through use of harnesses and carts. A harness or cart may be necessary to help the dog remain active and maintain quality of life. Unfortunately the outlook for a dog with DM is still grave.
Rule outs
The most common causes of hind limb weakness is herniated discs. When herniated they cause pressure on the spinal cord and can lead to weakness to paralysis. A herniated disc can usually be detected with an xray of the spine and myelogram or by doing a ct scan or MRI. Other diseases we should consider include tumors, cysts, infections, injuries and stroke. Similar diagnostic procedures will help to diagnose most of these diseases
