Arthritis affects joints, causing pain, stiffness, and lameness from inflammation, while Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive spinal cord disease, typically painless initially, leading to non-painful hind limb weakness, wobbliness, and eventual paralysis, though both can look similar with hind leg weakness. The key difference: arthritis is joint-focused and painful, whereas DM is neurological (spinal cord) and non-painful, but can cause secondary joint pain from altered movement.
Pain Level
Arthritis, as we know, is a disease of the joints, and it's very, very painful. Whereas degenerative myelopathy is actually a degeneration of the spinal cord. So it's a neurological disease and it's not actually painful.
Arthritis in dogs often leads to joint pain and mobility loss, sometimes causing neurological complications. Arthritis can cause inflammation and degeneration of joints, potentially compressing nerves and leading to neurological symptoms like weakness or paralysis.
Peripheral nerve disease, Lumbral Sacral Stenosis, IVDD, "Discospondylitis, Spondylosis, Tick Diseases, Thyroid Problems, Cushings Disease, Wobblers, Polyradiculoneuropathy, Polymyositis, Granulomatous Meningoencephalomyelitis (GME) and spinal tumors are just a few diseases that can initially present similarly to DM.
Early clinical signs include:
How quickly does degenerative myelopathy progress? Unfortunately, DM tends to progress very quickly. Most dogs that have been diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy will become paraplegic within six months to a year.
Common symptoms of diabetes:
The Five Stages of Degenerative Myelopathy
Symptoms of degenerative cervical myelopathy
pain or stiffness in the neck. tingling or numbness in the arms or legs (often starting in fingertips or toes) or less commonly in the body. change or loss in the manual coordination or dexterity in the hands (e.g. fastening buttons or tying shoelaces)
Yes, dogs with Degenerative Myelopathy should stay as active as possible. Keeping a DM dog active can actually help slow down the progression of the disease. Physical therapy and regular structured exercises, including walking, can help dogs with DM maintain muscle strength and minimize their risk of muscle atrophy.
The most common signs dog owners may notice include: Difficulty getting up and down. Walking stiffly. Lameness in one or more legs.
Researchers believe that the drug riluzole, which is already approved to treat ALS in humans, may help slow the progression of DM in dogs. Riluzole works by preventing the build-up of certain nerve signaling chemicals that can damage nerve cells.
The ideal exercise program for dogs with arthritis is one that is regular, low-impact, and controlled. Regular exercise means your dog is going for walks most days, rather than doing one big activity at the end of the week.
Definitive diagnosis requires microscopic analysis of the spinal cord after death. However, veterinarians use clues such as genetic testing, breed, age, and other diagnostics to determine if DM is the most likely cause of your dog's clinical signs.
Gabapentin has become a commonly prescribed medication for dogs suffering from arthritis, and for good reason: Targets Neuropathic Pain: Arthritis often leads to neuropathic pain, which is caused by nerve damage or dysfunction.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common condition in dogs characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) as a result of low or absent insulin levels. While any dog can develop the condition, most dogs diagnosed with DM are middle-aged or older.
In particular, the 10-second grip-and-release test (10-second test) is used to ascertain the presence of myelopathy hand. This test evaluates the number of repetitive grip–release–grip motion cycles in a 10-second period (over 20 motion cycles is thought to be normal).
If your dog was diagnosed with arthritis but they are also scuffing their hind nails, seem wobbly and weak when they walk (ataxia), or sometimes stand with their hind legs crossed, they may have DM.
It is most important to investigate and exclude other potential causes of spinal cord disease, which can mimic the presentation of DM; these commonly include a 'slipped' disc (disc protrusion) or tumour in the spine.
Degenerative myelopathy (also called Canine Degenerative Radiculomyelopathy or CDRM), is a disease that causes the nerves in the lower spine to stop working properly. It causes weakness, paralysis in the back legs, and incontinence (both urinary and faecal), all of which get worse over time.
No, Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) in dogs typically does not come on suddenly. Instead, it usually manifests gradually over time. The early signs of DM are often subtle and may be overlooked or mistaken for normal aging. Initially, dog owners may notice mild changes in their dog's gait or hind limb coordination.
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin or the cells of the body becoming unresponsive to insulin's effects.
DM in most dog breeds is caused by a mutation in the SOD1 gene (SOD1A variant). Dogs with two copies of this variant are considered at a higher risk for developing DM, although it is not guaranteed that they will develop the disease.