"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe." ~ Dalai Lama
We adore our dogs. We have three living with us now, as some of you will know. Snow Of The Black Watch, our near 50kg black German Shepherd (a rescue who came to live with us at about 10 months of age), Tia (a wee terrier x rescue), and Hamish, Kevin's 90 year old mum's little Schnauzer, who is quite the character and devoted to his elderly owner.
We've hit a painful bump in our road with Snow, who (as I write), is 9 years of age. Back in late May/early Jun 2020, Snow was diagnosed with what has become apparent is degenerative myelopathy (DM), with other complications.
I'm sharing incase any of this info helps other dog owners in future.
For the past 6 - 9 months, Snow's hind legs have been losing muscle tone and locomotion/feeling. His feet knuckle over without his feeling it. He drags his legs. We've consulted with vet friends, done our research, taken him for tests, and tried different courses of action but to no avail. There is a genetic test available, but the rapid degeneration has led to a general consensus of DM, which has no 'cure' but only one or two cutting edge (injectable) experimental treatments at present that may bring some slowing of the condition for the short term. We have chosen not to put this dog or ourselves through that, there being no guarantee of alleviation of symptoms.
*Sigh* 😢
We have several vets and two wonderful veterinary practises we consult with, depending on our animals. (We are very fortunate to know quite a few vets through our association with Murdoch and the horse community). For those interested, some of the professional comments re Snow were...
"On radiographs, his hips are good, but there is some bony spurring on the ventral side of the vertebrae, particularly L2/3, and more mildly at T13/L1. So that spurring is mainly in the upper lumbar region. He collapses when touched on the left side of his lower lumbar spine - especially L6, and left sacroiliac regions, and the left hind leg has more muscle wastage than the right hind leg.
There is also significant arthritis in his facet joints, all down the lumbar spine.
The bony spurs present, while showing there is instability in the spine, do not normally result in the neurological signs that he has, with regards to the knuckling test...I am very suspicious that he has degenerative myelopathy, in the early stages..."
As Snow is a rescue, we have no history to call on or compare. This is one of the very few 'down' sides of adopting purebreds.
The good thing about Snow's condition is that he actually can't feel much pain. He is on pain relief medication for his arthritis, etc. He stumbles/wobbles about and still goes for short walks and things, and thinks it's all wonderful. He is a bit more protective of himself with other dogs but we are being very careful about his interactions. His coat is still shiny and his appetite is undiminished. (Which we have to be careful of - less weight is obviously healthier in these cases.)
We've had German Shepherds for years. We've never lost one from DM or even bloat. We know the risks, although DM occurs in a number of breeds.
We've got him on a good diet with a number of supplements, he's received acupuncture and bodywork and essential oils (all management and support). DM eventually degenerates to the point where he can't get up and becomes incontinent. That is where quality of life for this particular outdoor loving, big farm dog becomes of primary consideration. Sadly, his condition is degenerating quickly now. I think we may have a few months left if we are lucky.
We purchased Snow a custom-made wheelchair for his back legs from an Australian canine rehab company called 'Aquapaws'. (See above photos.) The wheels are fantastic and they have given Snow back outdoor mobility. He has no trouble going to toilet in his wheels. No mess, no fuss. The chair cost just over $700. The great thing about the company is that they also buy back secondhand chairs when you have finished with them, so other folks can buy a secondhand one a bit cheaper.
We trained Snow to become comfortable with being placed in the wheelchair, and walking about in it, using positive reinforcement and food rewards. We had vet students Michelle and Melissa here at the time and I am sincerely grateful for their help in accustoming Snow to his new, albeit temporary, back legs. It only took a few days of very slow, careful and much treat-rewarded work before Snow was so happy to walk about he tried to take off after our resident emu who made a sudden an unexpected appearance. Snow managed to slip his collar, run off, and promptly flip himself over in his wheels trying to cross a ditch. Aargghh!! He was fine and it didn't put him off at all. Although it took me some effort and several cups of tea to recover...unhooking a nearly 50 kg dog flailing on his back in a ditch, and then getting him and then the wheels right side up and together again, with two other very excited dogs, a mother-in-law on a gopher, and an emu on the loose isn't as easy as you might think! Although humorous in hindsight. And he did love being able to 'run' after the emu...
We've got some 'Muttluks' boots for Snow's back legs. They are canvas and rubber, to protect his toes/feet, with soles designed to grip, so he doesn't wear his nails to the quick and develop sores from dragging his hind legs when he walks. We also have more rugs in the house now so Snow doesn't slip. (We have tiles in our main living areas.) We brush and massage him regularly so his coat/skin/muscles are stimulated because he's laying down so much more. (Otherwise pressure sores can result.)
I find myself contemplating the world of 'hospice' once again with an animal. Caring and giving comfort/managing pain without interfering too much with what is. Horses, dogs, cats, relatives...we've been through it before, as I'm sure most have. I've been reading a lot about this lately, as it happens, as I am also caring for Kevin's 90 year old mum, who lives with us and has definite views about her own end-of-life care...views we are very grateful to know and to be able to support.
It is what it is regarding Snow. Yes it sucks, but we do the best we are able to do. And what we can afford to do in the current climate. We consult and regularly review management. We try not to do anything just to make ourselves feel better - we always want to consider the animal as an individual.
Today I made a phone call to organise home euthanasia for Snow, when the time comes. This will be less stressful for us as well as him. He will be buried here, along with Conan, Dickens, Fig Jam, Zarah, Jamila, and other much loved and missed pets. They leave our lives but they never leave our hearts.
We sincerely thank and are grateful to Harridene's Veterinary Practice (Dr Felicity particularly) in Bunbury, Dr Greenwell in Margaret River...and Busselton (Small Animal) Hospital for their professional, compassionate support and advice on our journey with our smaller animals. 🙂🙏
We seem to end up with 'special needs' personalities here at one time or other. I gather it's all a part of our journey. And perhaps theirs too. Snow has given us more love and support than we could ever ask for and it's only fair we do our best to give that back in a way he'll appreciate.
Life is short. Hug your dog today.
❤️
EDIT : Snow of the Black Watch's time with us ended in early September 2020. His quality of life - and our ability to cope - had deteriorated to the point where we took the decision to have him home euthanised. We thank Busselton Veterinary Hospital (small animal practise) for their professionalism and compassion on the day.
Vale Snow. Here's hoping your watch continues in spirit.
Please feel free to contact Katherine (via Facebook or our contact page), for any recommendations regarding Snow's wheels, holistic support used, etc. Only sharing from personal experience but happy to share. Always seek professional, veterinary advice for anything like this. Please.
