I recieved this email from a Forest Service handler in my area it speaks for it self. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I myself think there is nerve damage. And one thing to also know is that this dog died on the vets table and was dead for 15 minutes before they got him back, after a reaction to some medication.


At 06:56 AM 11/3/2005, you wrote:
Ok guys, the doctors haven’t been a lot of help so now I’ll ask your advice from your experience with police K-9’s. Misha has had problems that began to develop last spring and have steadily worsened over the summer & Fall. The problems involve his hind legs and his ability to walk, run & jump without pain (or at all sometimes). The confusing part is the symptoms are not constant. One day he can hardly walk at all, two days later you would never know anything was wrong with him and I think he is fine. Then three days later he can hardly walk at all. It’s this continuous cycle. Even when he is feeling fine is back legs don’t seem to be right anymore. He moves his legs and especially his feet in strangely. He walks up stairs in a strange manner. You can turn his hind feet literally upside down sometimes and he will try and walk off like that not realizing his hind feet are upside down. I have taken him to 4 doctors this summer including a neurologist in Denver. No one is sure what is wrong with him. His lab work comes back normal, his ultrasounds and x-rays negative. His MRI showed a slight narrowing of the spinal canal between T-2 and T-3, but it doesn’t seem likely that this would produce such dramatic issues with his hind quarters. Now they want to put him on steroids with can wreck havoc with a dogs stomach, cause his to loose his hair, and other horrible side effects, and they are not even sure what the diagnosis is. We did a lot of drug work this summer, but even that got to be difficult for him, especially interiors. He hasn’t been able to do any bite work or tracking all summer. Monday this week he seemed fine again, by Wednesday he was having trouble walking. I am very frustrated and worried about him. If you have a clue about what could be going on or advice please let me know. Thanks, Aleta

Mike, I'm no expert but it kind of sounds like DM Here is a link to read more about it from the university of FL. It's not always detectable unless your looking for it.

http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/DM_Web/DMofGS.htm

Diagnosis of DM is made by a history of progressive spinal ataxia and weakness that may have a waxing and waning course or be steadily progressive. This is supported by the neurologic findings of a diffuse thoracolumbar spinal cord dysfunction. Clinical pathologic examinations are generally normal except for an elevated cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) protein in the lumbar cistern. Electromyographic (EMG) examination reveals no lower motor unit disease, supporting the localization of the disease process in the white matter pathways of the spinal cord. Spinal cord evoked potentials recorded during the EMG do show changes which help determine the presence of spinal cord disease. Radiographs of the spinal column including myelography are normal (other than old age changes) in uncomplicated DM. Unfortunately, myelography can be associated with worsening of clinical signs and carries some degree of risk for certain patients.

I had a dog with DM that I put down about 10 years ago.
This sounds familiar.
One of the ways that vets diagnose it is by trying steroids. They fail then you figure it is DM.
Not too much to be done about it, sorry.