Walking the Degenerative Myelopathy Path With Miss Jingles

Jingles was a German Shepherd/Doberman mix, and at the time of her passing, she was 17 years, 4 months. Jingles had GSD degenerative myelopathy, and fought a tremendous battle against this disease for more than four years. She was stubborn in her determination to win her battle, which was not going to happen. My girl was not about to give in to DM, "gave it hell" every day, with determination written in her face. It was tough to capture that determination in some photos, as she hated the camera, but I lucked out a few times LOL.

For those of you who may have a dog that has been diagnosed with GSD DM, or is suspected to have it, there is much you need to know and learn. Unfortunately, many vets know little about this disease. You, like many other owners of DM dogs, may have been told "there is nothing you can do." While it is true there is no cure, it is NOT true that "nothing can be done." To learn more about GSD DM, and steps you can take to try and stabilize your dog, please visit Dr. Clemmons' site, Degenerative Myelopathy of German Shepherds. If your regular veterinarian is unfamiliar with GSD DM, please ask for a referral to a veterinary neurologist, a good idea anyway, as you will need the expertise of a specialist.

I followed Dr. Clemmons' suggestions regarding the supplements and diet. I had already been giving Jingles some of the recommended supplements, and gradually added all the others. We had a regular exercise routine early in her life every day, which included walking uphill. I continued with this daily routine, weather permitting, for as long as Jingles was up to it. Yes, I did have to scale back the duration of her walks as the disease progressed, but any exercise was better than none. Walking uphill does wonders to keep that rear built up. I have to believe that this type of daily exercise was a huge factor in being able to keep her upright and walking, until a few days before her passing.

Because of Jingles' advanced age when DM reared its ugly head, there were some things I opted not to do, but would have had she been a younger dog. I decided not to use a cart for her, when she could no longer get around without help. Most likely, those reading this have a younger dog with DM, and I would encourage the use of a cart for your dog. It has been suggested that a dog be measured for a cart early on in the disease, while still able to stand upright. This is good advice, so you get the proper measurements for a proper fit. Please do this even if you may not be planning to use a cart in the future, as you may change your mind. For information about carts (wheelchairs) and other needs for handicapped dogs, please visit my Links Page.

GOING DOWN THE DM PATH WITH YOUR DOG

What I am going to tell you here, is strictly from my own recent experience with Jingles, and hope it will be of some help to you. Initially, DM was no big thing to deal with. Jingles was able to do almost everything as she had in the past, including long walks which she loved. My mission with her was to keep everything as normal as possible, and made up my mind not to fret when she had an occasional lousy day...the next day would be better. Stress is a bad thing for a DM dog. If you stress over every little thing or down day, you will not be helping your dog or yourself...no matter what, keep a positive attitude. Get rid of your anger that your dog has DM, and forget about trying to place the blame for your dog's disease wherever...it is unhelpful and a total waste of time and energy that you are going to need to help your dog. Leave the why's and how come's to experts currently researching this disease and the possible causes of, while educating yourself as much as you can about DM, including ways to help your dog.

As the disease progresses, there are many things which you will have to consider, as much more of your time will be required to deal with it, while trying to maintain as much quality for your dog as possible. First, every dog is different in how it responds to the diet, supplements, meds, etc., that you read about on Dr. Clemmons' site. Not every DM dog owner is going to be as fortunate as I was with Jingles for more than four years. However, success is success, no matter how long with this disease...every additional quality day is a bonus.

I would be a liar if I said the walk down the DM path is an easy one, it isn't. In the later stages of the disease it can be very time-consuming, exhausting, leaving little time for anything else, and will tie you down. I want you to know this for the following reasons. Once your dog is in the later stages of DM, it will require a lot of assistance from you, and will become a huge part of your daily routine, including "cleaning up." DM is an "up and down" disease, i.e., periods of stabilization followed by some down days. Be totally honest with yourself when your dog is in the later stages of DM. Not every dog is a fighter, and you can't make it fight. If your dog seems tired, sad or unhappy, and appears to have given up, it is time to release it from DM. If the amount of care you are now giving (which in essence is "hospice care") has become overwhelming for you, for any reason, it would be better to euthanize.

If you are married, you will need a very understanding and helpful spouse when going through the late stages. Why? Because the amount of care needed means you will not be able to leave your dog alone for several hours at a time. What if your spouse wants to go away for the weekend? You can't kennel your DM dog, and who could you leave it with that knows how to handle a DM dog, taking care of all needs such as manually expressing (emptying) the bladder, emptying the bowels, and many other things required? Unless you are able to take your dog with you, you will have to forego some weekend jaunts, etc., until your dog passes. If your spouse resents being tied down due to the above, and you are at odds with each other, for everyone's sake including that of your dog, it is best to euthanize. Whether the above or latter case, if your decision is to euthanize, don't feel guilty. You did what you could for as long as you could....not every DM dog owner will be able to travel the entire DM path. Your decision is not a selfish one, it is the kindest thing you could do for your dog, under these circumstances. If the above does not apply to you, and you are willing and able to walk the entire DM path, read on.

MY WALK DOWN THE DM PATH WITH JINGLES

Again, nothing scientific here, just my own personal experiences with Jingles during the later stages of DM. First, I must tell you that I did not have to consider anyone else when having to spend so much time tending to Jingles' needs, other than my other dog, which made things a bit easier, i.e., no bitching from anyone else to contend with LOL. Keep in mind what you can afford to do for your dog. If you can afford acupuncture and hydrotherapy sessions, if there is such a facility for dogs near you, go for it. If not, don't feel guilty about it. Simply exercise your dog for as long as possible, give the recommended supplements and diet (either cooked or the commercially prepared food recommended) which is what I did, and the meds if you wish to give them a try.

About 2 1/2 years after the onset of DM, Jingles began to experience more down periods, but they didn't last for long, and within a few days, we were back to our daily routine of walks. It also took much longer for her to poop when I took her out to potty. I had to walk her around the yard several times to get things moving. This was not a problem during the warmer months, but in the winter on bitterly cold days, I simply couldn't keep her outside long enough for her to poop. Peeing outside was not a problem at this point, as she did that right away. After she did a few "poop walks" in the house, I put down a small tarp, and newspapers. It didn't take long to get a "poop routine" down with her, by using a disposable rubber glove with a small amount of vaseline, then massaged her anus, which provided enough stimulation for her to poop either outside, or inside on the papers. This simply became part of my daily routine, and was no biggie. She also could no longer bark, or wag her tail...it just hung down. Jingles was not a barker, but she often would "talk" to a dog friend, or neighbor when we were outside. I think her inability to bark frustrated her when she made the attempt, and wasn't successful.

The winter of 2002/03 was brutally cold and lengthy. November, 2002 was the coldest on record, and I was no longer able to continue the daily walks for Jingles. All I could do was get her out for short walks on days when the temps moderated, but they were few and far between. I did leg exercises on her, and kept walking her around the house, which was all I could do. I knew this was not going to be enough to maintain the muscle tone we worked so hard to keep up. Ice and snowstorms were another problem, and then came the blizzard...ugh! I had to keep a large potty area open in my yard, for both my girls. No way could Jingles navigate through deep snow, and she still had to go outside to pee. It was not necessary for me to express her bladder at this point, and I did not want to start that when not needed. This meant continually clearing a large potty area during ongoing heavy snowstorms in the middle of the night, scraping away the snow down to the grass. Fun? Not! I guess you could call this a "labor of love" LOL. After the snow stopped falling, I sanded the potty area heavily, so neither of my girls would slip and fall. You can't put boots on a DM dog, as they already have little feeling in their paws. This is why I cleared the snow down to the grass as much as possible. I also kept the fur trimmed back around the pads on her paws, to keep any snow from packing up in between the pads, and kept potty trips outside very brief. If you live in an area where you experience bad winter storms, make sure you have everything your DM dog will need, in case you are snowed in for a few days. If you depend on a private well for your water, be sure to have plenty of bottled water on hand in case of a lengthy power outage.

The lengthy winter and lack of meaningful exercise took its toll on Jingles, who was now approaching her 17th Birthday. She had lost a lot of muscle mass, to say the least. Her top weight (she was not a big girl, and light-boned) was 47 lbs, and had dropped 12 lbs. There is a lot of muscle wasting with all DM dogs, but it was more devastating for Jingles, as opposed to a dog weighing 100 lbs or more. Since Jingles was determined to keep on fighting, we began to gradually get back into an exercise routine, by going for a short walk every other day for a couple of weeks, working up to a slightly longer walk. We were able to work up to a total of one mile each day, which included going up the mild hill to my home. She did well, but was slow and tired coming up the hill, however she made it all the way home. What she could no longer do was climb the three steps to my front door. I had a small ramp made for her, but she wanted no part of it. She would try to go around it, so I had to carry her up and down those stairs. Jingles was not happy about me carrying her, and couldn't wait until I put her down on the floor, so she could walk on her own....that's how determined she was....she could "do it herself," so there!

Her big day arrived, when she turned 17 on July 4th. It was a good day for her, and she enjoyed celebrating with my other dog, Jezebel, but the photo taking session was a bust. Jingles disliked the camera, and put on a sour face. Jezebel had picked up on Jingles' camera hatred, and was equally uncooperative. August was kinda muggy, and Jingles was "up and down" with her food, even though I have A/C. I had to be a little creative getting her to eat, as she was losing more weight. She was also having more difficulty raising herself from the floor. However, I was not going to enable her by carrying her around the house. I knew if I did that, she would go down permanently, sooner. It was hard to watch her struggle, but when I knew she *could* do it herself, without any help from me, I let her do it on her own, even though it took awhile. On days when she couldn't get up herself, I simply picked her up and placed her on the floor in a standing position, steadied her, and she would walk to her water bowl, or wherever she wanted. Sometimes she flopped, and would get back up herself, but I only helped when necessary. She also was having trouble peeing when I took her outside. Sometimes she would pee right away, while other times we could be outside forever, and she would do nothing. That's when I had to begin expressing her bladder at times, but not all the time.

Jingles and Jezebel were very close dogs...they were attached at the hips. Jezzy was younger than Jingles, and I had fully-expected to have Jezzy after Jingles' passing, which I knew was not far away. During the latter part of August, Jezzy became ill, and passed on September 9, 2003, from cancer. I was worried about Jingles' reaction to Jezzy's death. She didn't seem to be pining, but who knows what goes through a dog's mind? I had a busy schedule at the time, and was in an out of the house all day and into the evening. This concerned me as Jingles was laying around more than she had been, when I was not home. With Jezzy gone, there was no reason for her to get up and move around, so she deteriorated even further.

A few days after I PTS Jezzy, I brought Jingles to my vet. She had an infection in her eye and a "zit" on her upper eyelid, making her uncomfortable, which cleared up after treatment. At the same time, I decided to have a complete blood screening and thyroid test done on Jingles. I didn't want to assume that her weight loss and up and down appetite was strictly DM-related. Her test results were very good, and there was nothing that indicated cancer as a possibility. My vet also felt no masses or enlargements in the abdomen, or enlarged lymph nodes. I then made another appointment for X-rays of her spine, etc., to make sure there was nothing like spondylosis or anything else that might be causing her pain, since there is no pain associated with DM. Her X-rays were mind-blowing. I fully expected to see some changes, such as some arthritis...there was nothing...not one speck of arthritis anywhere. This is very unusual for a dog over 17 years of age! This was as far as I was willing to go with testing on my old lady...very invasive testing requiring anesthesia was out of the question.

Jingles came out of her down period for a few days, and was eating well. Suddenly, she began tilting her head to the right. I was sure she had developed some form of vestibular disease, and the vertigo associated with that was making her a bit nauseous, so she wouldn't eat much at all. If she tried to stand up, she fell over on her right side. I took her back to the vet, and she also suspected vestibular disease. Since we could not do any invasive testing, she gave her some meds to try and relieve the vertigo. Since Jingles was now down 20 lbs from her high of 47 lbs, and eating poorly, I decided to scrap the diet she had been on, and give her the canned i/d. Not a fan of this stuff, however, I recalled how she loved that food a few years prior, when she required a bland diet due to a gastro-intestinal upset. Heck, she thought she died and went to Heaven when I fed her that food. At this stage of her disease, and my feeling that the end was near, I wasn't going to worry about a specific diet. I had to choose my battle again, and this time it was to get her to eat. If she didn't eat, she would become weaker. It worked, she enjoyed eating the canned i/d and gained 2 lbs within one week.

The vestibular problem seemed to have eased considerably, and my girl was up to a short walk up and down the street, in front of my home....she was still fighting her battle. Each day, I looked for signs that she was tired and giving up her fight...it wasn't there, until October 27th. On that day, she was tilting her head to the right again, looked miserable, curled herself up in a tight ball to the right, shielding her eyes with her tail, because of the vertigo. Previously, when Jingles was experiencing "down periods," I gave her the benefit of the doubt, giving her plenty of time, to see if she would come out of it, as long as she had that "spark" in her eyes. This time was different, and I knew she was down permanently. She looked at me with sad eyes for the first time...she had given up her fight, couldn't fight any longer, and I didn't want her to. Enough was enough...she was tired. There was only one thing left that I could do for my girl, and that was to give her freedom from DM. We spent one last night together, and she slept next to me as she had done most of her life, while I hugged her all night. The following morning, on October 28th, I helped my girl to The Bridge.

THE SILVER LINING...

If facing DM with a dog I own in the future, would I go down the entire DM path again? Yes, I would, if my dog is a fighter. As I said earlier, you cannot make a dog fight when it doesn't want to. I did not want Jingles to fight for me...I wanted her to fight for herself. All I could do was give her the tools to fight her battle for herself, and I am satisfied that this is what she did. This was never about me, it was about her. While she did not "win" her battle against DM per se, she beat the odds and continued on with plenty of quality for a lot longer than could reasonably be expected...there is more than one way to "win." I am very proud of my girl's accomplishments, and always will be.

Going down the DM path with Jingles, was a huge learning experience. It was amazing to watch how she continually adjusted to what became a handicap, as her disease progressed. She didn't let DM get her down...she simply had to do some things differently. If ever there was a lesson regarding how to cope, a DM dog would be the best teacher. When you and your dog walk the DM path together, you will be truly blessed. Even though DM is a terrible disease, you and your dog will develop the closest bond imagineable. This bond will strengthen each day, good or bad, because you will face them together as partners. Many years ago when I was a child, my Father told me this: "Whatever you learn throughout your life and keep between your ears, is something nobody can ever take away from you." Truer words were never spoken. Everything you learn from your experiences walking the DM path, will serve you well in the future.

AFTER YOUR DM DOG IS SAFELY AT THE BRIDGE

When you take your final walk down the DM path with your dog, it will be a sad day, with many tears. Allow yourself time to grieve, but rather than focus on the sad for several days, focus on all your wonderful memories and what you achieved together. Revel in all the successes you both had...there will be many. When all is said and done, it is important to take plenty of time for yourself, after a lengthy and exhausting daily routine. Give yourself ample time to wind down and relax...you deserve this. If you plan to search for a new companion, wait until you are truly ready to deal with its needs, as you must be fair to yourself and your new companion.

Walking The

Degenerative Myelopathy Path

With "Miss Jingles"

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Miss Jingles at age sixteen