Max has been diagnosed with CDRM which means that he is going to lose the use of his back legs. The degeneration of the nerves in the spinal cord is most commonly associated with the GSD and other big breeds but smaller dogs can have it too. The cause is unknown and there is no treatment to reverse the effects.There are things which can help to slow down the progression of the disease and the rate of progression varies greatly from one dog to another.
For some time Max has had problems with his back legs being wobbly and he has not always been aware of what his feet are doing. At first I thought this was a symptom of his arthritis but CDRM is a completely separate condition.
Max has already been put on to Vivitonin to help his circulation and an amino acid supplement to help the muscles in his back legs. We are also going to try a high dose of vitamin E and also blackcurrant seed oil.
We have also started to make preparations for his worsening condition by buying stair gates, putting mats down on slippery floors, using boots for his back feet which now drag when he walks and we have looked into rear harnesses for when he struggles to get up on his own.
Although he can not walk very far these days it is important to keep his exercise regular. He is no longer able to run after toys so we take him to interesting sniffing spots instead. Last night we watched the sun go down at Warham Camp.
