Canine Degenerative Myelopathy
Yesterday, I said goodbye to a friend, Inga. She was the fur-kid of my good friend and I had known her since she was puppy. We spent a lot of time together this past year-and-a-half. Although Inga was incredibly smart and playful, she also seemed to have the ability to read my mind. We enjoyed walks together, sitting out in the backyard and watching the sun setting, then going inside and playing with her squeaky toys, especially her octopus. I will always remember the time I was laying on the floor and she pounced on my head like she did her octopus. It was a riot and made me laugh so hard. When the lawn people would come to mow, when she was let outside the first time after they left, she would run to the side gate because she knew they were stupid enough to leave it open and she could get out (she would always come back when told to, but it was like a game to her).
Me trying to get a selfie of me & Inga but Inga kept trying to kiss me.
I saw her on October 10th when I was visiting my friend. Inga was wobbly in her hind legs, but not any more than usual. When I went to care for her yesterday, I noticed a dramatic difference in her functioning. My friend decided today that she would take her into the vet and let her forever rest. It was hurting her to see Inga this way even though Inga was not in any pain. She was worried Inga would break her legs.
The last pic I took of Inga on Wednesday.
What did she have? Canine degenerative myelopathy. Below is a video of what it is all about. If you have any of the larger breed dogs, especially German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, etc., get to know what the symptoms are.
Recently, researchers have made a connection between canine degenerative myelopathy and human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease that may help them discover treatment methods to help both. Read more here.
I will never forget Inga. She had such a unique personality. Blessings in your life come in all forms. She came into mine full-force on all fours. Be at peace my sweet friend.
