Hi Gwenola. There is a small amount of hope only. In this breed I have seen corticosteroids be quite effective for German shepherds have undergone sudden collapse like you describe. However, if they don’t work and immediate referral is not an option, there probably isn’t much else that could be done.

Hi Dani. Before DM, I would be thinking of either what your vet suggests or pressure on the spinal-cord due to a disk or vertebral abnormality, which is common in pugs. Both will get worse after manipulation, which, as you say, is not typical for DM.

Hi Hannah. It’s very hard to say, and without stopping essential medications we may never know. Border Collies are not one of the high-risk breeds for DM, so like I say in the article, I would do the SOD1 test and start a treatment trial for arthritis in the meantime. Another alternative is to swap the bromide for a drug like levetiracetam but there’s a risk here that it won’t be as effective in controlling seizures.

My 11 year old border collie has epilepsy and has been on Libromide and Epiphen for most of her life to control seizures. Libromide has always made her a bit wobbly in her hind legs. Recently she started falling down sometimes when standing up which is new (usually it’s only when she’s running round corners).

For as long as I can remember she has always scuffed her back paws slightly when walking on lead which leads to her back nails being worn down. She has also always some strange things with her back legs when standing still.

I took her to the vets recently due to her falling down and suspected it was due to the libromide and maybe arthritis. The vet suspects she has degenerative myelopathy as when they curled her back paws she didn’t fix them. Although when I do this at home she fixes it instantly.

She also jerks sometimes but again she has always done this for as long as I can remember. She also walks a bit squinty when ‘trotting’ but again she has done this as long as I can remember. The vet says these are all signs of a degenerative nerve disease.

I guess my question is do you think this could be DM or could it be more linked to her epilepsy and arthritis? I want to be realistic about her prognosis but I also feel like her epilepsy is just ignored and mixed with DM symptoms and the possibility of her symptoms being caused by libromide ignored.

Go to the vet, 100%. Even if it is DM, there are other things that can be put in place to make their life a bit better.
Like anxiety medication has been helpful for my German shepherd. As she loses mobility, she’s been getting more anxious.
There’s also lots of devices to make life more comfortable. Like the help em up harness is great. We tried a wheelchair, but my dog has such low energy that the extra weight just makes it impractical (and it’s a very light weight chair).
I tried all the booties. In the end, a cohesive bandage was the best option. I bought in bulk off ebay so I could change them multiple times a day if needed.

Hi Biana. There’s so much to say here. Firstly, what is ‘keeping her comfortable’ if not going to the vet for a checkup? Especially since the most likely cause of these signs is arthritic pain (not DM), which is usually easily treated with many options at different price points. Secondly, by saying this, is your significant other expressing their wish for how their own ‘old age’ should be treated? I suspect not. Old age is not a disease itself, instead it is a collection of major and minor age-related dysfunctions, most of which have effective remedies.

Hi Andrew,
We took Brick to the neurologist and they ruled out DM because this issue is only in his right hing leg. They think it may be an infection in the sciatic nerve, or a herniated disc. He’s being treated for the infection with antibiotics now, but suspicion of neuritis is low. Therefore, it looks like a herniated disc. Unfortunately, we can’t get him an MRI because of an arrhythmia in his heart. I’m still not convinced this doesn’t have something to do with his ligament in that leg. Also, do you have any recommendations for the herniated disc. They mentioned a round of steroids for it. He seems to be hopping a lot more, rather than knuckling. Thanks, for your time.

Hi Tony. Steroids like prednisolone can assist with herniated discs but could make an infection worsen. However, if started cautiously there shouldn’t be a great risk if your vets agree.