CDRM Help

My sons lab Leo has today been diagnosed with CDRM he's getting some blood tests done but the vet is sure this is whats wrong.
Anyone that can give any advice we would be very gratefull as the vet painted a very grim picture

Also does anyone know of any Hydrotherapy pools for dogs in Lanarkshire? As we have read that could help him.
Thanks
Shirls

hi

i would google the cha and look for listed pools affiliated to them.
dm its a case of managing

regular exersise and if at all possible physio too.

epo,l-carnitine and vitamin e is recommended as supplements.

http://www.veterinary-neurologist.co...myelopathy.htm

Thank you I will pass your advice to my son
Shirls

I am so sorry to hear about your son's dog. CDRM is a horrible disease and there is no cure. My GSD developed CDRM when she had just turned 7. It started off with her her toes dragging slightly when walking. It progressed gradually over the next few months and she started to run strangely with her back legs .

When you turned her back feet under she didn't right them immediately in the normal fashion.She then started to trip over her back legs when turning around and had trouble standing up. CDRM is painless and the dog loses all sensation in the back legs over the course of a few months.

10 months after the first symptoms Ellie's back toes were scraped raw and bleeding, she had trouble walking even a few yards, couldn't stand up without help and was miserable. She was having no life quality so as much as I loved her I did the right thing and had her PTS.

CDRM is not uncommon in GSDs but quite rare in Labradors. Some dogs are lucky and the disease progresses slowly over a year or two. Unfortunately Ellie was not one of the lucky ones.

If you wish to use hydrotherapy you need to have ascertained from the vet if in deed this would help your particular dog.

Once you have done this you then need to look for a suitable pool.

There are no specific legal requirements covering canine hydrotherapy but there are two professional organisations that exist within the business. NARCH and the CHA which have different standards and focus.

NARCH (The National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists) focuses on the individual; there are rigorous training and registration requirements and members are required to complete 20 hours of CPD training. A Code of Ethics exist to which members must abide and both vets and clients can verify the individual therapist’s training record plus the facilities of the centre from which they operate and any areas of specialisation or expertise.

The CHA (Canine Hydrotherapy Association) focuses on the centre rather than the individual. The training requirements are lower than NARCH and, although they are starting to upgrade these, they do not require all hydrotherapists operating in a centre to be trained in all aspects; for example they advise that a trained person is contactable by phone. They do require a person trained in Canine First Aid to be present at all times and many members have completed training exceeding CHA requirements.

If the centre/therapist does not fully understand what they are doing we risk:

• Causing harm or distress
• Worsening an injury
• Delaying healing
• Permanent damage



to our dogs.

http://www.narch.org.uk/
http://www.canine-hydrotherapy.org/php/members.html

A fantastic vet who may be able to help. Have a look around there web-site.

http://www.broadleysvets.co.uk/

Wish you every luck

Should have said, if you go to the rehabilitation section just under the view film link. then hit the info button it gives details of how they may be able to help. Im not sure what they could do in this case, but may be worth contacting them

x

Yes, this is exactly the same scenario we had with Ozzie, he had just turned 7 - the vet said this is quite often the age it happens? Poor Ozzie was a Friday dog, he also had EPI. We had to let him go eventually, but it broke our hearts. I have seen pictures where people put the dogs' back ends in trolleys to give them mobility and apparently these dogs have never looked back but to be honest I don't think I would go there, certainly not where I am living now but each to his own.
So sorry to hear about your son's dog hopefully he will have more quality time with him but the prognosis isn't good.x

One of the problems with CDRM is that it progresses differently in different dogs. I have had two dogs with CDRM. In the one it progressed so slowly that he actually died of cancer before he was badly affected my other lad lost the use of his back legs almost totally over the course of 2 years but he was very upbeat & still loved life. He sadly died at nearly 15 when a stroke took his one front leg from him. I bought him a cart but he wouldn't use it. refused to move in it, yet a friend has a cart for her dog & she loves it.
Try & keep up to date with medical progress as I was told at Crufts that now they have found some DNA markers they are hopefully on the verge of finding something that will slow the progression of the disease.
Hope your dog is one in whom the disease progresses slowly.

Thank you all we will look at broadleys vets. Unfortunately Leo seems to be deteriorating quickly at the moment but is now on steroids which fingers crossed might help. But no cure unfortunately