Truemors
Wesley, after over two years in splints, was recently diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, a progressive, fatal neural disease common in German Shepherds, Old English sheepdogs and Labrador retrievers. Wesley and his owners were on a camping trip in Colorado—camping was his favorite pastime – when he became totally paralyzed. He will be missed by his family and a multitude of friends. I am lucky to have met Wesley. He was all that a dog can be. My original story ended with “And that’s a shaggy dog story with a happy ending.” I stand by my original words. Wesley made a lot of people happy.
For more information on canine degenerative myelopathy, check out the following link. Keep in mind that this disease affects not only German Shepherds but other breeds, as well.
http://www.lapawspa.com/dm.htm
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 22:01 on August 12th, 2008
Hi
My mum & dads dog cant walk anymore and is pulling him self along the floor, he is 12 years old but still bounce around like a puppy. Im looking to buy him some back leg braces or something with wheels and we do not want to let him go yet as he just doesnt seem to be bothered by the effect. Has any one out there got any suggestions, advice and any rough guide of how much this would be?
Please help and reply as soon as possible
Many Thanks
at 12:05 on September 10th, 2008
Dear Jenny84,
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I haven't logged on in awhile. You might call Dr. Steve Rapp, Boerne Veterinary Clinic, at 830-249-2141. I'm not sure how much Wesley's braces cost, but I got the impression that it wasn't that much. I understand how difficult this is. We lost our 16 year old pup last summer from the same thing. One thing that seemed to help was a kiddie swimming pool (the hard plastic kind). He would sit in the water for a while and then could walk again for a brief period. The water seemed to offer at least temporary relief. Best of luck.