Have you ever heard of Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). It's an extremely debilitating disease affecting the quality of life and mobility of many dogs, especially senior aged, large breeds (and their mixes). Recently, a query came through the i Love Dogs (iLD) Ask A Vet page about the use of supplements to help with DM. The article originally appeared as: Can Supplements Prevent the Onset of Degenerative Myelopathy?
My 12-year-old German Shepherd (GSD) has degenerative myelopathy (DM). I also have a 9-month-old GSD puppy. Is there a way to prevent my puppy from getting this desease, possibly starting with a supplement, or anything else?
– Carol
Hi Carol,
Degenerative myelopathy is a disease of unknown origin that leads to progressive weakness — even paralysis — of the hind legs. Since the disease is usually seen in German Shepherds, a genetic link is suspected, but no direct link has been proven. DNA genetic tests do exist for DM; however, because there are cases of DM where the tests are normal, there are likely multiple genes responsible for the disease, or other contributing factors not yet understood.
Dogs with DM usually start showing symptoms at 6 years of age or older, although similar symptoms have been reported in German Shepherd puppies. The symptoms include slowly progressive weakness and incoordination of the hind legs. The affected dogs do not seem to be in pain, but symptoms often progress to the point where the dog is not able to walk or stand at all. Muscle wasting becomes noticeable in the later stages of the disease, due to disuse.
The dogs are usually still able to move their legs even if unable to stand, but they lack muscle control and something we call proprioception — the ability of the animal to sense where his or her extremities are without having to look at them. For example, as you read this, your feet are probably placed on the floor in a comfortable position without you even having to think about it — that is proprioception.
There are other diseases that can have similar symptoms, such as various types of spine or spinal cord damage. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves traveling from the brain through the spinal canal and out to the body. At various points along the spine, some of these nerves branch off from the cord to serve distant parts of the body. Damage or malformation of the spine, such as arthritis, infection, tumors and collapsed disks can damage or pinch these nerves. With DM, the nerves themselves degenerate within the spinal cord. In order to differentiate DM from some of the other causes, the others must be ruled out by a thorough neurologic exam, including X-rays, blood tests, sometimes a spinal tap, DNA genetic tests and more advanced imaging such as MRI or CT scans.
Unfortunately, no effective treatment has been proven to prevent or control DM. However, studies have shown that affected dogs receiving intensive physical therapy for two to three days per week do retain their ability to walk longer than those who receive no therapy. I’ve seen a German Shepherd with DM have a good quality of life for two years while receiving physical therapy.
Physical therapy in general significantly improves the quality of life for affected dogs and their owners. Physical therapy may also help delay the onset of symptoms in at-risk dogs. In addition to physical therapy, many vets see improvement with acupuncture.
No medications or supplements have been proven to be of any benefit; however, some vets do advocate for the use of certain supplements. Antioxidants like green tea have been proposed as a treatment. Also, extracts from the reishi mushroom have shown promise at slowing the progression of the disease.
Even though neither supplements nor physical therapy have been proven to help, they are certainly not going to hurt anything, either. Your dogs will enjoy the exercise of physical therapy, and reishi and antioxidant supplements may help keep them healthy.
Good luck,
Dr. Smith
Ask a Vet is intended for informational purposes only. If your dog requires veterinary attention, you should take him to your vet or animal emergency clinic for an examination. Click here to find a veterinarian near you.
Have a question concerning your dog’s health? Send it to Ask a Vet.
PHOTO: Magnus Brath
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.Have you ever heard of Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). It's an extremely debilitating disease affecting the quality of life and mobility of many dogs, especially senior aged, large breeds (and their mixes). Recently, a query came through the i Love Dogs (iLD) Ask A Vet page about the use of supplements to help with DM. The article originally appeared as: Can Supplements Prevent the Onset of Degenerative Myelopathy?
My 12-year-old German Shepherd (GSD) has degenerative myelopathy (DM). I also have a 9-month-old GSD puppy. Is there a way to prevent my puppy from getting this desease, possibly starting with a supplement, or anything else?
– Carol
Hi Carol,
Degenerative myelopathy is a disease of unknown origin that leads to progressive weakness — even paralysis — of the hind legs. Since the disease is usually seen in German Shepherds, a genetic link is suspected, but no direct link has been proven. DNA genetic tests do exist for DM; however, because there are cases of DM where the tests are normal, there are likely multiple genes responsible for the disease, or other contributing factors not yet understood.
Dogs with DM usually start showing symptoms at 6 years of age or older, although similar symptoms have been reported in German Shepherd puppies. The symptoms include slowly progressive weakness and incoordination of the hind legs. The affected dogs do not seem to be in pain, but symptoms often progress to the point where the dog is not able to walk or stand at all. Muscle wasting becomes noticeable in the later stages of the disease, due to disuse.
The dogs are usually still able to move their legs even if unable to stand, but they lack muscle control and something we call proprioception — the ability of the animal to sense where his or her extremities are without having to look at them. For example, as you read this, your feet are probably placed on the floor in a comfortable position without you even having to think about it — that is proprioception.
There are other diseases that can have similar symptoms, such as various types of spine or spinal cord damage. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves traveling from the brain through the spinal canal and out to the body. At various points along the spine, some of these nerves branch off from the cord to serve distant parts of the body. Damage or malformation of the spine, such as arthritis, infection, tumors and collapsed disks can damage or pinch these nerves. With DM, the nerves themselves degenerate within the spinal cord. In order to differentiate DM from some of the other causes, the others must be ruled out by a thorough neurologic exam, including X-rays, blood tests, sometimes a spinal tap, DNA genetic tests and more advanced imaging such as MRI or CT scans.
Unfortunately, no effective treatment has been proven to prevent or control DM. However, studies have shown that affected dogs receiving intensive physical therapy for two to three days per week do retain their ability to walk longer than those who receive no therapy. I’ve seen a German Shepherd with DM have a good quality of life for two years while receiving physical therapy.
Physical therapy in general significantly improves the quality of life for affected dogs and their owners. Physical therapy may also help delay the onset of symptoms in at-risk dogs. In addition to physical therapy, many vets see improvement with acupuncture.
No medications or supplements have been proven to be of any benefit; however, some vets do advocate for the use of certain supplements. Antioxidants like green tea have been proposed as a treatment. Also, extracts from the reishi mushroom have shown promise at slowing the progression of the disease.
Even though neither supplements nor physical therapy have been proven to help, they are certainly not going to hurt anything, either. Your dogs will enjoy the exercise of physical therapy, and reishi and antioxidant supplements may help keep them healthy.
Good luck,
Dr. Smith
Ask a Vet is intended for informational purposes only. If your dog requires veterinary attention, you should take him to your vet or animal emergency clinic for an examination. Click here to find a veterinarian near you.
Have a question concerning your dog’s health? Send it to Ask a Vet.
PHOTO: Magnus Brath
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.