I also wanted to say this: Many large breed dogs can carry the DM gene! Labs, Greyhounds, stard poodles, etc. Though the GSD carries a specific gene for DM which is separate and distinct from the others. Many vets, very sadly, are NOT familiar with Degenerative Myelopathy. It often goes undiagnosed, or is mistaken for something else. Hannah was showing symptoms way earlier then I ever picked up on SOMETHING is wrong. She'd sometimes slip on the flooring, or fall as she made a sharp turn in playing fetch. I thought she was just clumsy, or her nails were too long, etc. Then the bending of the knees began, and scraping of nails on her left rear paw as she walked, or her left paw would slip as soon as it hit flooring. She was ok on carpet and grass. So I thought arthritis, hip displasier, etc. If you see any such symptoms, it could very well be DM! Our entire house IS flooring, so 6 weeks ago I had to gather large carpets and runners to cover it all so Hannah can travel through the house without slipping.

GSDMom:

I've been waiting for an update.......what's going on?  Is Hannah better?  Any more info from your vet on what it might be? 

Please give us an update.

My dog is also Hannah.......so I'll never forget your dog's name........

Hope everything is ok.

Oh gee, I feel so terrible that I haven't been back here for so long to give an update on Hannah. It's just that 6 weeks ago I felt like my whole world had been turned upside down. Hannah's dx hit me like a ton of bricks, so suddenly and unexpectedly. My entire life since then has been focused on HANNAH. Lots of research and understanding Degenerative Myelopathy. As I mentioned, I was lead to a DM message board and am sooo thankful for that! Though there is no cure for DM, I have learned that it is NOT "The End" quite yet for my time with Hannah. I take one day at a time and have learned to just enjoy each day, rather then look back on how it was before DM, or how she is going to die and leave me soon.

I had to invent new games we can play together, since she can no longer run full speed to fetch her ball, which we played every day for the last 8 years.

Life with Hannah is very different now, from 6 weeks ago. As DM progresses quite rapidly.
It's a waxing and waning disease. She has 3 great days where she can walk without TOO much difficulty, and even run across the yard kind of bunny hopping. Then she'll have 2-3 days where I need to aid her in walking with a sling or bottoms up leash. And this is how it's been.

She is on the Dr. Clemmon's Protocol. The diet (I cook for her twice a day), vitamins, and the 2 medications. I saw improvement after 2 weeks! There is no cure, as I mentioned. But this protocol can help in slowing down progression so I can keep her for a little longer.

Someone from the DM board has even donated a wheelchair/dog cart for Hannah, which will make it possible for her to once again RUN AND PLAY FETCH! It should be here sometime next week. I'll let you know how she adjusts to her "wheels". So far she has adapted so amazingly well to the many changes in her body and lifestyle. I'm so proud of her!


Thanks for asking about Hannah.
 
       

Thank you GreyGhost, I actually have recently read that link with the protocol that Dr. Clemmons precribes. I haven't yet begun the protocol but I am working on it. I joined a wonderful support group too and they all have gone through The same thing or are going through it right now with their dogs. I still feel so scared by all of this, afraid of losing my Hannah, but I will do all that I can.

Seeing a nerve specialist is what I wish I can do. But this past year has been so extremely hard on our family and we've already spent so much just trying to find out what Hannah DOESN'T have. Now that I know what she does have, I can only do one thing at a time and my goal right now is to get her on that protocol. If things ever start getting better financially, I'd definitely take Hannah to a specialist.

Thanks for the link, and HOPE.   

Hannah's blood work was fine. No cancer, liver fine, white cells/red cells fine, etc.

The prednisone isn't doing a thing for her. I've just been crying and crying because I just feel I'm going to lose her and I'm not handling that thought well at all. Now both of her legs are wobbly, she has a sway in her hips and her legs keep sliding apart, outwards. It's so terrible. The fact that prednisone isn't helping at all has left me feeling very hopeless. From all the reading I've done online, I truly believe that my Hannah has been stricken with Degenerative Myelopathy, a very cruel disease! With no cure! And it progresses very rapidly.

And here I thought I'd have my Hannah to love and enjoy for AT LEAST 4 more years, if not longer. 

Kathy, try googling 'yucca for treating hip displasier in dogs'. There is lots on the subject. Some dog owners even have before and after video's. Their dogs hips were so bad, with legs dragging behind. After a few weeks of being on yucca, the dogs are running. The yucca you use must be FOR DOGS. The dog gets one drop per pound of weight, twice a day.

Anyway, I brought Hannah to the vet late today; there is no infection, no fracture or break, no hip displasier.

So now begins trying to find the problem. He said it could be
nerve damage which could happen from an injury. It can be
neurological, as a tumor on her spine, or it could be siatica, or it can be cancer.

He is doing lots of blood work and will let me know the results on Wednesday. In the meantime, he put her on a low dose of Prednisone for now because if it is nerve damage from an injury, it might get her back to walking normal. I'll start her on that tomorrow. I hate prednisone (was on that stuff myself way back). I sure hope and pray it works. 

My German Shepherd hasn't been to the vet to be diagnosed because as I said, we are going through some hard times at present. The first thought that came to my mind when she started walking funny, was hip dysplasier. But now I can't even be sure of that because we noticed it seems to be just one rear foot that might be causing her walking difficulties. Her left foot flops down and just started turning inward over the weekend. It looks different from her other foot (a little darker and slightly swollen). Could it be fractured? Infected? BROKEN?!

So now that I'm completely baffled I am bringing her into the vet later today to find out exactly what the problem is. IF it is indeed hip displasier, I'll talk to him about the things you've all mentioned here which may help. I hate drugs and really like to avoid them if possible.   
Thanks for all your responses. I'll post after her vet visit.

Thanks so much for the welcome and all your replies. I appreciate it. The financial factor is a big concern right now. I love my dog (Hannah) so much and don't want to see her suffer or be miserable. But I also don't want to lose her. I'm trying to do what's best for her AND not put our family in a hole either. Times are tough right now, as we all know. Thanks for giving more options to check into. I'll let you all know if Yucca helps any. They say it takes about 2-4 weeks before you notice a real improvement. We shall see. It's only been 4 days so far.     

Has anyone ever heard of giving a dog Yucca to aid in Hip Displasier? The normal options are surgery or two types of drugs; which I'm trying to avoid both. My German Shepherd is having problems with her back legs. It just started at 8 years old. She's never before showed symptoms of it. I did alot of reading about dog owners using Yucca which acts as a steroid would; it helps imflamation.   

The very first thing I thought of while reading this was, THE FOOD.