My sister Dawna’s 1 1/2 year old golden retriever Cali has been diagnosed with MMM (Masticatory Muscle Myositis).
Dawna noticed that Cali was having trouble picking things up and that the things she *could* pick up were getting smaller and smaller and that she could open her mouth less and less each day. Dawna noticed that Cali’s face was starting to swell and got to her the vet right away.

The vet did blood work which confirmed the MMM. Apo-Prednisone was prescribed. 30 mg twice a day for 3 weeks and then dropping the dose to 30 mg once a day for another 3 weeks and then down to a maintenance dose or hopefully off the meds. After being on the meds for only two days, Cali can open her mouth enough to pick up most of her toys and is not snarling at people anymore.

Due to the meds, Cali is drinking a lot and of course peeing a lot and sleeping a lot. Dawna said Cali's head looks almost skeletal with the bones sticking out and wonders if that will correct itself as time goes on and they get the MMM under control.

I would like to know if anyone has any experience with MMM. Is there anything extra Dawna can be doing to help Cali? Anything she shouldn’t be doing?

I have no personal experience.

I have read a little about it.

You probably know about the soft diet (very important so as not to exacerbate the inflammation) and no chewies, etc.

Also, with any inflammation-based disease (which is many many diseases), my own personal inclination would be to discuss an increase in long-chain Omega 3s from marine sources (i.e., fish oil) and of course not to forget the vitamin E that protects the PUFAs in the oil supplement. (Of course this would not be a "cure." But any simple way to decrease the hormones that favor inflammation and increase the ones that inhibit it sounds like a good support to me.)

I'm not a health professional.

http://www.michvet.com/library/neurology_masticatory_myositis.asp

Connie, What would the dosage of fish oil and Vit E be for a 60 pound dog?

Debbie, I give all my dogs a gram of fish oil per ten pounds of dog. (A teaspoon of liquid fish oil is about 4.75 grams. A gelcap is usually a gram or 1200 mg., which becomes expensive and inconvenient unless the dog is small.)

Vitamin E is different; it doesn't come that way. I use 400 IU on my 63-pound dog. (I would choose d-alpha, not dl-alpha, and I would want it to be with mixed tocopherols.)

However, I was suggesting discussing with the vet an increased amount when battling an inflammation-based illness.

For example, in his allergy seasons, my atopic dog gets more.

I'm not a health professional.

Thanks Connie. I'll let my sister know. She is taking Cali back to the vet on Friday for a re-check. I'll tell her to ask about fish oil dosages then.