Degenerative myelopathy - Page 2

Thank you Brisewald....we too Stuart in for MRI today, sounds crazy but I hope they do find something that can be treated and that's irs not DM!  I will post the results tomorrow ...thank you everyone.... Going to look into all suggestions!

STUART UPDATE....

Hello everyone,  today we met with Stuart's neurologist after having his MRI today.  Unfortunately there is no good news, the MRI shows everything is normal inside Stuart, which means he definitely has DM.  :(    As you all know there is no treatment or cure for DM. So we are just going to do the best we can for our Stuart Little and do whatever we possibly can for him to make him comfortable as this damn disease progresses. Going to continue walking him. Going to try to take him swimming since they says that helps to strengthen and slow progression, and just love the hell out of him every day!! Thank you for listening and all your suggestions! 

That's our Stuart Little!! 

I haven't been back to this thread at all. I'm sorry about Stuart. Have you tested him for DM (the SOD1 gene mutation test)? I'd be curious to see if he would test "at risk." I was so hoping for some inflammation to be seen on the MRI. At least you did it and you KNOW. You won't guess and second guess and put yourselves through hell down the road wishing you'd done it. 

Thank you Jenni78... I agree! We were on the fence about doing MRI because of the cost, but glad we did it, although deep down in the pit of stomach I knew Stuart had DM after his regular doctor saw him last Monday. Just going to try to move forward and do what we can for him, to keep him happy and comfortable.  Thankfully he's not that bad yet!  Neurologist said DNA testing would just show if he was a carrier and at this point I don't see any reason to do it.   Thank you again.   :(

Very sorry to hear about Stuart. The OFA DNA test would have one of 3 results - normal, carrier, or at risk. If Stuart does have DM, the test should identify him as being at risk, not as a carrier. It's a very complicated diagnosis because a number of other neurological diseases mimic DM and there is no 100% method to identify the disease in living dogs.

At any rate, I hope Stuart continues to be a happy dog owned by a loving family. That's all that matters to any dog.

http://www.offa.org/dnatesting/dm.html

Sent you a PM.......I'm surprised your neurologist didn't suggest that you have him tested for Myasthenia Gravis....simple blood test.....very treatable!!

Here's a link for you to check....http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vsr/Neurology/Disorders/Myasthenia%20Gravis.html

While the DM test is far from a cut and dried topic of absolutes, I question a neurologist who said it would "only show if he's a carrier." If for no other reason, test him to help verify or disprove the validity of the test. It's not expensive (but I would not use OFA- they are pricier and take much much longer for results). If he tests having two normal SOD1 copies, then that would make me keep looking at what could be his problem AND/OR make a case for the test not being accurate. I would absolutely test a symptomatic dog. 

The MRI doesn't prove he HAS DM. It only proves he DOESN'T have many of the more common issues seen in GSDs that mimic DM symptoms. There are some that a myelogram is most diagnostic for, and some a CT scan, and still others require a blood draw. Remember, DM is an exclusionary diagnosis, and there is no test for it on a living dog. I would be less likely to keep searching for answers if his DM saliva test came back A/A, however. 

A thyroid scan might be in order also. Rear foot dragging is one of the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism  in dogs.

It really doesn't matter which lab you use, they use the same test. I like the OFA because the results are entered into their searchable database. IMO it's important to be able to find those results in a public venue.