DM is an adult-onset, progressive disease that begins with muscle weakness in the dog's rear legs and gradually leads to complete paralysis. It is not to be confused with hip dysplasia. It affects primarily German Shepherd Dogs, but is also seen in Boxers, Welsh Corgis, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Irish Setters, and Old English Sheepdogs and is often considered the canine equivalent of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) or multiple sclerosis.
For those dogs diagnosed with DM, the AKC Canine Health Foundation, in cooperation with Scout's House in Menlo Park, California has made available a free instructional video on caring for affected dogs. The video shows how owners can modify their homes to make it easier to live with a DM Dog, recommends products for more comfortable and functional lives and explains how physical therapy may help slow the disease.
For more information, see the CHF web site at:
www.akcchf.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=194.
Much has been written about the loyalty of dogs, but what I love about them isn't their devotion to me so much as their devotion to being alive. --Steven Bauer
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1 comment:
Hi Janis,
Thank you so much for mentioning our video on how to care for a dog with degenerative myelopathy in your blog. At Scout's House, we treat many dogs each week who suffer from this terrible disease and, although we can't cure DM, studies have shown that intense rehab can slow the progression of the disease.
I just wanted to mention that people with pets who suffer from other issues, including arthritis, hip dysplasia, and even old age, may find the video useful too as it outlines many of the things you can do to make your dog's life--and your own--a little easier. For more information or for products that can help dogs live more comfortable and more functional lives, people can check out our website at www.scoutshouse.com. There's so little information out there for people with "special needs" pets--we're trying to build up our website to help them learn more about (and cope better with) whatever issue their pets face.
Thanks!
Best,
Lisa Stahr
Scout's House, Inc.
506 Santa Cruz Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650 328 1430
www.scoutshouse.com
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