Has anyone ever come across this before??

[wildmoor]

Hi Dana
With my first one that had it he was pts due to liver failure so he nether went off his feet clompletely.
With Monty it started very gradualy over a period of 18mths, firstly he had a slight unsteady gait, then he started to loose muscle tone in his hind legs, he used to use his tail to help him balance. It then got to a stage where he wouldnt feel himself defecate and I had to stop him walking so he would do it in one spot. Over time his nails wore down to the quick and would bleed, so then I only took him for small walks were he could stay on the grass. His feet would cross over at the back, i also had to stop him going upstairs as he was fine going up but fell down twice. I used a magnetic collar to increase the blood circulation around the body. The dogs as this progresses become totaly paralised from the waste down. Again Monty didnt get to this stage due to having OCD of the shoulder and the increased pressure on this joint I made the descision to pts. They do not feel pain at the rear but he was in constant pain in his shoulder being an extremely large dog at 56kg.
Some people also use swimming to try and maintain the muscle on the hind legs.
Some dogs the degeneration is rapid with others it is more slowly over a period of 18-24mths.
Pam

[Dana Jennings]

Thank you all so very much for the information, links etc but I have to admit I'm sat here in tears at the thought that my baby most probably has this awful disease that has no cure. The thought that I may one day be faced with a very difficult decision just kills me because I know I will be torn between doing what is right for her and not wanting to say goodbye to the bestest friend I have ever had.

I now have to go and give her many many cuddles!
Thanks again
Dana

[zaclucy]

Originally Posted by Dana Jennings

Thank you all so very much for the information, links etc but I have to admit I'm sat here in tears at the thought that my baby most probably has this awful disease that has no cure. The thought that I may one day be faced with a very difficult decision just kills me because I know I will be torn between doing what is right for her and not wanting to say goodbye to the bestest friend I have ever had.

I now have to go and give her many many cuddles!
Thanks again
Dana

Dana, I am so sorry for your distress, it seems so clinical when it is written down, and it is easy to forget that someone's much loved pet is the subject. I don't know alot about this disease, so I can't offer any constructive advise, but I am thinking about you and your baby, for what that is worth.

Janet x

[kita]

Don't be downhearted.

My girl was 8 when she was diagnosed with CDRM. I put her in a cart when she could no longer walk with her back end and I had her a further 18 months. I chose to put her in the cart because she was so young and had no other problems (like arthritis).

IF your dog does turn out to have CDRM the timescale before going completely unable to walk/support themselves is very variable. I have known dogs go off their legs within a couple of weeks (this is rare) and some go a couple of years or more.

I always said with my girl that although I knew she had CDRM at least we had some good time left together. I previously lost her sister at 6 years old with bone cancer in her hind leg, I only had a four days from diagnosis to having her put to sleep and she was in terrible pain in her last day. I reasoned that with this girl who had CDRM then she could well get something else that would cause me to loose her before the CDRM took hold.

Sadly when dogs get to this sort of age we all know that we are going to be faced with making that terrible decision in the very near future. My boy is now 13 (breed average lifespan is 11) and I know each day is a bonus, it is hard and I find myself watching him like a hawk for any limp, sickness etc.

Don't take this the wrong way I mean it in a nice way. When you say your dog may have this awful disease that has no cure - in a way they all have a terrible 'disease' with no cure - old age. Sadly it is something we all have to live with, we will eventually loose them one way or another.

CDRM is not painful for the dog and in that way it is a kind disease.

Try not to be too upset/down around her - dogs often pick up on our moods and act accordingly.

Swimming is a good exercise for CDRM - do you have a dog swimming pool anywhere nearby?

You might find this thread interesting (Jake has CDRM):

Jake's hydrotherapy

Sue

[GSDOWNER]

Originally Posted by wildmoor

Hi Dana
In the early stages the dog will right its feet, plus due to muscle wastage you do get a shortening of tendons.
Pam

but what if the dog does not right its feet

[GSDOWNER]

Originally Posted by Dana Jennings

Thank you all so very much for the information, links etc but I have to admit I'm sat here in tears at the thought that my baby most probably has this awful disease that has no cure. The thought that I may one day be faced with a very difficult decision just kills me because I know I will be torn between doing what is right for her and not wanting to say goodbye to the bestest friend I have ever had.

I now have to go and give her many many cuddles!
Thanks again
Dana

Dana I am crying with you; post like this make me more determined to fight for our breed

One day is a long way off, take each day and make each day special,

[GSDOWNER]

Originally Posted by kita

Don't be downhearted.

My girl was 8 when she was diagnosed with CDRM. I put her in a cart when she could no longer walk with her back end and I had her a further 18 months. I chose to put her in the cart because she was so young and had no other problems (like arthritis).

IF your dog does turn out to have CDRM the timescale before going completely unable to walk/support themselves is very variable. I have known dogs go off their legs within a couple of weeks (this is rare) and some go a couple of years or more.

I always said with my girl that although I knew she had CDRM at least we had some good time left together. I previously lost her sister at 6 years old with bone cancer in her hind leg, I only had a four days from diagnosis to having her put to sleep and she was in terrible pain in her last day. I reasoned that with this girl who had CDRM then she could well get something else that would cause me to loose her before the CDRM took hold.

Sadly when dogs get to this sort of age we all know that we are going to be faced with making that terrible decision in the very near future. My boy is now 13 (breed average lifespan is 11) and I know each day is a bonus, it is hard and I find myself watching him like a hawk for any limp, sickness etc.

Don't take this the wrong way I mean it in a nice way. When you say your dog may have this awful disease that has no cure - in a way they all have a terrible 'disease' with no cure - old age. Sadly it is something we all have to live with, we will eventually loose them one way or another.

CDRM is not painful for the dog and in that way it is a kind disease.

Try not to be too upset/down around her - dogs often pick up on our moods and act accordingly.

Swimming is a good exercise for CDRM - do you have a dog swimming pool anywhere nearby?

You might find this thread interesting (Jake has CDRM):

Jake's hydrotherapy

Sue

another fantastic and valuable post, but bloody sobbing my heart out

[angeldon]

Hi Dana

I’m so sorry for your pain. Having read all the posts and the link relating to CDRM I’m now convinced Kruger must have had this and I didn’t even realize!!

Looking back he had many of the symptoms – Firstly, he lost his bark at about 10 years. The vet examined him under anaesthetic and couldn’t find anything wrong. He used to rest his neck over the back seat and shout all the way to and back from the common twice a day, every day (I know, so unshepherd like!!) so the conclusion was that he’d debarked himself.

He’d always dragged his back foot slightly because of the gracilis problem and when after the gastroplexy, at nearly 11 years, his hips lost weight, his tail became quite limp and his back legs occasionally became tangled we (ignorantly now) put all this down to the trauma and long recovery from the operation which obviously slowed him down a lot.

All through this he still managed two walks a day and never showed any signs of pain. The walks did get shorter and shorter but he lived to 13 years and 2 months so, all things considered, he did really well. We were fortunate in a way that we didn’t realize what all these symptoms may have meant and just thought his problems were due to old age and when we finally lost him due to a massive stroke (in the car on the way back from his afternoon walk) we were none the wiser.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that Kruger carried on with all these symptoms but was still able to live a happy and reasonably active life right up until we lost him. I know there are no words to reassure or comfort you but try to be strong and positive for Sheba and take each day at a time.

BIG hugs to both you and Sheba xx

[Dana Jennings]

You are are all so very very kind!! Dave (my other half) said the same to me last night - quite simply "she's not dead yet, we could have a very long time with her, don't let her see you upset". I hate admitting he's right!

And yes she does still enjoy 2 walks a day and even chases the odd rabbit still (even though she knows she doesn't stand a chance of catching it). She is a few months off being 12 so has had a good innings and a very good life and I do hope that I have her for a few more years yet (fingers crossed very tightly!). I know we have to say goodbye at some point but I got her when I was 21 so I feel like she's shared my adult life with me and understands me totally (she is very intelligent!!). She pretty much goes everywhere with me if possible. Dave will often say that he thinks I love her more than him - I say no and then give Sheb a wink!!

I would also like to add that this site is still quite new to me and I have to say it has been so so helpful - I love the way that everybody feels about their four-legged friends the way I feel about Sheba. I think you all do a great job - Keep it up!!

With many many thanks for your kind support
Dana

[kita]

Is Sheba your first dog?

It is hard when you have to make that final decision and it never gets any easier.

Hopefully you will have a long time with her yet!

I think alot of vets when they suspect CDRM don't actually pursue the theory or tell the owner as there is nothing anyone can do about it. Sometimes it just gives the owner a guilt trip and depresses them (which in turn affects the dog as they are so good at picking up our feelings). I think alot of vets feel helpless too as they are supposed to tell us what to do to cure our pets and we are looking to them to give us the solution. They must feel so useless when they cannot prescribe some medicine or operation to make things OK.

At least with CDRM you don't have to make a decision about a major operation and all the money in the world will not change the condition. It must be awful to have to decide whether or not to put an old dog through a major (expensive) operation.

Just enjoy your dog - what will be will be. To be honest if the vet advises no further treatment then I would forget about CDRM and just take each day/week/year as it comes. She doesn't know what is ahead (after all do any of us?) and she will just be getting on with life, chasing rabbits etc. Like your partner said 'she is not dead yet'!

As long as she wants to go for walks, is in no pain and has a healthy appetite what more can you ask?

Don't let your dread of loosing her ruin the rest of your time together.

Sue