A Journey Through Degenerative Myelopathy

The day Kane was diagnosed with the disease, Degenrative Myelopathy was the most devasting day I have ever had. My Doodles (Kane's nickname) was only 5 years of age. Still a pup at heart and loved to play. Although he also had Idioptic Epilepsy which was controled by Phenobarb and Potassium Bormide twice a day 6 oclock sharp, in the am and pm, it was never a burden. My days of sleeping in were over. We muddled through each of his seisures and trained Rocky to lay next to him instead of attacking him. Dogs go into "the survival of the fittest mode". Kane had clusters seisures and there was never a trigger. Lasting at first 3 to 4 minutes each time and would go on for 45 minutes with 10minutes inbetween. Atleast 2 times a week. I thought my world was ending then but I had no idea what lay just ahead.

In July of 05 we noticed Kane walking funny, similar to a drunken sailor. He would fall down alot on the hard wood floors and do the splits, he was very very clumbsy. We thought it was the eppy meds he was taking. The weeks went on and it got to the point where he started to fall down steps. Almost like he would just forget what he was doing. I used to take him by the collar down the steps at that point which seem to help him focus, little did I know it was the disease progressing up his spine and tiny leisions where attacking it. DM is an auto immune disease.

In June of 06 we took him to the vet to do some blood work and make sure is pheno levels were in line. Everything was normal and the vet told me what was happening didnt have anything to do with his medicine. We did a knuckle test where you make your dog stand on the top of his feet. Kane stood there as if nothing was going on. Most dogs right there feet right away, but not ole proud Kane. Just stood there with his happy face. the vet than ask me to take Kane down the hall and back. He saw his back legs cross over each other causing him to stumble. He suspected DM but without and MRI and a Mylogram he couldnt cancel out other diseases. Since the disease is very prominent in the German Shepard dog he felt 90% sure that he had DM. The prognoses, 3 to 6 months before total paralysis set in the back legs. No cure, NO pain. What I didnt know was the emmotional anguish he and I where about to embark on.

The Weeks Ahead

Having been told the expectancy time of the disease to progress I was devasted. I came home and cried, cried somemore and cried somemore. The first night I started to scour the internet. Searching and searching for what ever information I could get my hands on. I came across a website for Dr. Clemmons who has been studying the diesease for years in the German Sheperd Dog. He had a diet and a regimen. I printed it out and the next day took it to my vet. He took the information from me and told me he would call me that evening. My vet made some phone calls and called me and told me that he had gotten the recipe for Dr. Clemmons tonics. Meanwhile, Kane me and Rocky went for a walk and did stuff in the yard. The boys played their games of chase and ring around the rosey, taking my stuff from me and running with it. Kane only fell once. We were still having great days unbenonst to me what lay around the corner.

One week later, Kane started gettting very week in the back end. He tried to get on his favorite recliner and after several attempts gave up. He started having trouble going up the stairs by himself. While out in the yard getting ready to go to the bathroom, it happened. My proud boy fell smack dab in the middle of his poo. The look in his eye when it happened was absolute terror. He couldnt get out of it himself so I rushed over to help. I got him up and took him over to the hose and squirted it off of him. Then took him inside and washed him down with soap and water and dryed him off. The next morning we went outside and he started getting wobbely in the back end again. I ran inside and grabbed a beach towel to put under his belly to help him with his balance. That worked and all was great again.

When I came home from work that day, I let my boys out as usual. I watched Kane get ready to tinkle and as it was coming out he fell on his butt. All the while still tinkling. The faucett was shooting up through his front legs like a fountain. He was so proud of himself, wow, "Hey Mom, look what I can do". I giggled and told him what a good boy he was and then went over to help him up.

I called the vet to see if Dr. Clemmons mixture was ready. Went up the next day to get it. We switched Kanes diet over to the Natures Miracle Vegitarian, started him on all the numerous supplements, adding 1 at a time through out the week to make sure they agreed with his stomach. My Kitchen now became a pharmacy and vitamin store. Rocky was taking his pretend medicine so he wouldn't feel left out.

After 2 weeks, I came home and Kane was barking in the window. He hadnt done this for a while without falling down. That night I watched Kane get back up in his recliner, on his own. The next day I decided to take Kane and Rocky for a walk. the leashes went on, and Kane started trotting, all proud of himself. Rocky and I actually had to jog to keep up. We were so happy, it seemed the tonic and vitamins had started to work after 2 weeks. My boy was playing again. We played frisbee all week long although he still tripped on his feet everyonce in a while and ran like a rabbit. (The bunny hop, I call it) This lasted for another week and then things took a turn for the worse.

August. DM goes on a rampage

By the beginning of August for some reason I noticed Kane started progressing at a faster rate. Whether it was the heat of the summer and maybe the lack of excersise he was getting because of the heat I dont know. Could be.

Kane started having a really hard time getting up on his own, struggling and struggling. This just tore me apart inside. I went to the web and started digging. Reading everything I could get my eyes on. I went to Dr. C's website again. Nope no changes, no cure. I found Jack Flash's website, I found Handicapped pets website, spanna's website and Zaxxan groups website. Dr C used to have an on line chat. Rats discontinued. Zaxxan group was supposed to be a support group but had no luck with any support from them. No replies to my questions. I was devasted and lost. No one to help me to know what to do. I didnt know how to help my Kane walk and without walking he wasnt happy. I had no one, my friends didnt understand and often times said you need to put him to sleep. I started to turn away from my friends. Again they just didnt understand. I became depressed and cried non stop. I read somewhere that with the disease comes grief. You tend to grieve even before you dog is gone. At this point all I wanted to do was to find someone to help me help Kane. BUT NO ONE CARED!

So I went home everynight and struggled with Kane, I yelled at him out of frustation not understanding the disease. I kept telling him hurry up! Come on Kane, you can do this. He would try and then just give up and lay there. That just made me mad. I would ask him, are you trying to get attention? I know you can do this, you did it yesturday. Nope he would just lay there. He couldnt walk without my assistance, he couldnt poop with out my assistance nor pee. Kane was getting depressed and I was losing my mind.

Part 2.