Is my dog's hind leg weakness, incontinence, and trouble standing DM?

Question

How can I determine if my dog has degenerative myelopathy? She is a 12 year old Labrador retriever who has been loosing muscle mass in her hind legs, been unstable, walking on the top of her feet, having trouble standing up, and sometimes has incontinence issues. She has no signs of pain. Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 12 years and 3 months old | 80 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry Bailey isn't doing well at the moment! Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a diagnosis of elimination, meaning that other causes for the weakness are looked for using an MRI and myelography. The only way to confirm it for sure is during a necropsy (autopsy for dogs) when the spinal cord is cut and examined for characteristic degenerative changes. A feature of DM is that is isn't painful, and given all of Bailey's symptoms, I would speak to your vet about having an MRI and myelography to rule out other potential causes of her symptoms.

Is my dog's hind leg weakness, incontinence, and trouble standing DM?

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