Incontinence

Dogs with CDRM can become incontinent but luckily Max has never left any puddles in the house. However, he has become increasingly bowel incontinent which makes me wary of taking him to other people's houses.
It only happens first thing in the morning after I've let him out in the garden to go to the toilet. A few times he went after I had shut the back door and I thought he just didn't realise that he hadn't finished. Even though I now leave the back door open I still find that he goes in the kitchen so he obviously doesn't know that he needs to go. I have to now make sure I shut him out in the garden so that he does not come back in the house until he has been.
If you have a dog with CDRM I would be interested to know if this is something you have found too as I have only read about urinary incontinence.

Read all about it...

You can read all about Max's life with CDRM in the December issue of Dogs Today, on sale 6 November.

A new addition...

Here is Max with my brother's new Cavalier King Charles puppy, Sonny. Sonny is very lively and Max can only take him in small doses but both managed to stay still long enough for a family photo.

Easier eating

Meal times are much less of a balancing act for Max now he has a raised feeding bowl. He is much more stable on his back legs when he doesn't have to bend forward get his food.

A very good day

Wow! We've just got back from the vet and I can't quite believe it. Max has improved. I thought he seemed better recently, more stable, and I saw him cocking his leg a few times which had to be a leap in the right direction. The vet was obviously stunned by his improvement since last month. She bent his back feet under into the knuckling position and he corrected them almost straight away. At last month's check he was very slow with one and I don't think he even managed to correct the other one himself.
The vet won't be able to explain the improvement because, as far as she knows Max has just been on vivitonin and L-Carnitine which, if anything, could only slow progression of the disease, but I know why and I have Jim Colla to thank. I'm sure it is down to the physiotherapy we have been doing two or three times a day as often as we can manage. The change in just a month is unbelievable. It has really given me a boost and the time consuming physio sessions are definitely paying off.
The vitamin B complex and high strength vitamin C turned up today so they will be added to Max's arsenal of pills and potions and I'll let you know how we get on. I think a nice walk is in order this weekend....

New vitamins

I've found some research on CDRM by Dr Clemmons, professor of neurology at the University of Florida's Veterinary School. As well as high doses of vitamin E, he also recommends 500mg vitamin C twice a day and also a high strength vitamin B complex twice a day.
I've ordered these extra vitamins to try with Max although, with the postal strike, who knows when they will turn up. The post these days is even slower than Max.

Out and about

At the weekend I really noticed a difference in Max. On Saturday we went to Snettisham Park where he ignored a whole host of different farm animals. He had a great sniff around though and even cocked his leg which marked a huge step forward in his progress. He gave up cocking his leg quite a few weeks ago.





On Sunday it was a lovely sunny morning so we went to Holt Country Park for a walk. Well... Max started off walking and then decided to break into a jog. Couldn't believe it but we didn't let him over do it. I put this improvement down to the physio, it really seems to have made him more stable on his back legs.