The Cortaflex wouldn't do any harm & my dog I lost(aged 15)to DM didn't show any reaction to the turning the back feet in the early stages. There is nothing you can do to stop DM, but swimming is a non weigh bearing exercise & will help keep up the muscle tone

So if she is in the early stages of DM, there is little point in taking her to the vet? Can I continue with her regular exercise as well as perhaps taking her swimming? Also is a hydrotherapy pool better than the reservoir in front of my house?

Thanks for the link to the helpline - I will have a good read of it later.

I have checked her back feet too - and can see no "scuffs" of her nails? Is it usual for a dog suffering DM to have scuffed back nails?

Thanks.

I'll pm you the hydro details. But hydrotherapy is very different to just swimming, so I would suggest both

(although the hydro guy did say to us not to let Hoki swim in cold water, but this was only in the early stages following her op, where he said the cold water would make her muscles contract too much and might cause damage).

Thanks Hali - I will have a think about it and look at the website.

Hydrotheraphy is way better than swimming in cold water & TBH in the very early stages there is nothing the vet can give & people who have experience personally of a dog with DM can advise what they did to help their dogs, it can be very gradual with it's onset & progression & it varies from dog to dog.

Because it was in the early 1980's when I lost my dog there were no hydro pools etc so I did swim him in a horse pool(it was slightly warm)& kept his weight down & it was nearly 5 years before he lost 90% of the use of his back legs & he had the canine equivalent of a heart attack & was PTS.

It may be worth having a word with your vet about any treatment they could provide for her.

Thank you Dyane. I suppose I should at least get the vets view on whether it is DM. Am I better to speak to a GSD experienced vet ... or do most know what to look for?

If they have a vet that knows GSDs & DM it would be better than one who thinks all hindquarter problems in GSDs is HD & that DM is linked to HD-which it isn't. There are vets out there that think that way, a local"state of the art""I've been on TV"vet sheduled a GSD for a hip replacement when the dog actually had good hips & had the onset of DM !!!

Not sure they have a GSD experienced vet at the practice we now use up here (it is mainly a farm vets) so may look around for someone experienced in DM and GSDs.

Thanks.