This is the story of Asjabi. A wolf-greyish German
Shepherd, male, and a cross-breeding of a German Shepherd bitch and
presumable a Czech or Saarloos Wolfdog. Asjabi is diagnosed with
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM).
On this page I try to keep track of the process that Asjabi and his
masters (my wife and I) are going through and the efforts we undertake
to slow down the deterioration by DM as much as possible.
Unfortunately, Asjabi lost the unfair fight with DM on 7 June 2013. He
will hold a special place in our heart forever.
1) What is DM?
During our first search on the internet we read a lot of questions
amongst other dog owners about DM. Especially the question "What is
DM?" is asked a lot online. The text below (marked as Italic)
is copied from
Wikipedia on 19 April 2012.
Canine degenerative myelopathy (also known as
chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy) is a progressive disease of
the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset
typically between 7 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of
coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. As of July 15, 2008 the
mutated gene responsible for DM has been found present in 43 breeds
including German Shepherds, Boxers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers,
Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and both breeds of Welsh Corgis.1, 2
The disease is chronic and progressive, and resulting in paralysis.
The myelin is an insulating sheath around neurons in the spinal cord.
One proposed cause of degenerative myelopathy is that the immune system
attacks this sheath, breaking it down. This results in a loss of
communication between nerves in lower body of the animal and the brain.
Testing
The Orthopedic
Foundation For Animals has a DNA test that can be purchased
to see if their dog carries the mutated genes for DM. The test is for
any dog but is only recommended for certain breeds. The test consists
of a cheek swab (using something similar to a Q-tip to swab the inside
of the cheek to submit for testing).
The test checks for the mutated gene that will tell if your dog may be
affected by degenerative myelopathy, if it is a carrier, or if it is
unaffected.
The results are:
Clear
This means your dog does not have
the mutated strain and it will not develop degenerative myelopathy.
(clear)
Carrier
This means your dog is a carrier of
the gene but will not develop degenerative myelopathy.
Affected
This means that your dog is
affected with degenerative myelopathy and may develop degenerative
myelopathy (affected). Not all dogs with A/A results will develop DM.
Genetics Breeding risks for degenerative myelopathy can be
calculated using the Punnett Square:
1.
If both parents are clear (N/N)
then all of the puppies will be clear
2.
If one parent is a carrier (N/A)
and one is clear (N/N) then roughly 50% of the puppies will be clear
and 50% will be carriers
3.
If both parents are carriers (N/A)
then roughly 25% will be clear (N/N), 50% will be carriers (N/A), and
25% will be affected (A/A)
4.
If one parent is clear (N/N) and
one parent is affected (A/A) then all puppies will be carriers (N/A)
5.
If one parent is a carrier (N/A)
and one is affected (A/A) then roughly 50% of the puppies will be
carriers (N/A) and 50% will be affected (A/A)
6.
If both parents are affected (A/A)
then all puppies will be affected (A/A)
Symptoms Degenerative myelopathy initially affects the
back legs and causes muscle weakness and loss, and lack of
coordination. These cause a staggering affect that may appear to be
arthritis. The dog may drag one or both rear paws when it walks. This
dragging can cause the nails of one foot to be worn down. The condition
may lead to extensive paralysis of the back legs. As the disease
progresses, the animal may display symptoms such as incontinence and
has considerable difficulties with both balance and walking.1,
3 If allowed to progress, the animal will show front limb
involvement and extensive muscle atrophy. Eventually cranial nerve or
respiratory muscle involvement necessitates euthanasia.2
Progression of the disease is generally slow but highly variable. The
animal could be crippled within a few months, or may survive up to
three years or more.1
Causes
The etiology of this disease is unknown. Recent research has shown that
a mutation in the SOD1 gene is a risk factor for developing degnerative
myelopathy in several breeds.2 Mutations in SOD1
are also associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou
Gehrig's disease) in people.4
Known causes of spinal cord dysfunction should be excluded before
accepting the diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy; disc disease
(protrusions) or spinal cord tumors can cause compression of the spinal
cord with similar signs to degenerative myelopathy.5
Treatment
Degenerative myelopathy is a non-reversible, progressive disease that
cannot be cured. There are no treatments that have been clearly shown
to stop or slow progression of DM.1
Exercise
Exercise has been recommended to maintain the dog's ability to walk.1
Physiotherapy may prolong the length of time that the dog remains
mobile and increase survival time.6 Canine
hydrotherapy (swimming) may be more useful than walking.7
Use of a belly sling/leash allows the handler the ability to support
the dog's hind legs while exercising or going up and down stairs. A
cart may enable the dog to remain active and maintain its quality of
life once weakness or paralysis of the hind legs sets in.
Sources
1.
Kahn, Cynthia M.; Line, Scott, eds.
(2005-02-08). "Degenerative Diseases". The Merck Veterinary Manual (9
ed.). Merck. ISBN 0911910506
2) The
beginning
We buy Asjabi as a pup from the 'Poor Animal' foundation in Prinsenbeek
(The Netherlands). Asjabi, his mum and three other pups were found in
France and taken to an asylum. Soon after that, the family of five are
taken to Prinsenbeek where we buy Asjabi as the last remaining pup on
24 January 2005. We know from people working for the foundation that
Asjabi's mother is going to Sneek to meet her new owners.
We want to give the new family member a foreign name but because we
only hear one day ahead that Asjabi is available for us, we haven't
come up with one yet. An employee of the foundation suggests the name
'Aghis-Habi' (Asjabi), which means 'Great Warroir' in Berber language.
We think that this name is so unique that we decide to give the pup
this name, although we have to admit that we use the phonetic spelling
as the 'official' spelling of his name. Because of the fact that no one
is really sure how old Asjabi really is, we estimate his age to be 6.5
week, which leads to 10 December 2004 as day of birth in his passport.
Asjabi is raised by my wife who can't work until September 2005 due to
medical treatments. Asjabi is an enterprising puppy. Within four days
he is able to climb our open spiral staircase all the way to the top.
The next day I am (amongst other proud dads) at Prenatal to buy a stair
gate.
Towards our Belgian Shepherd Djiep (pronounce 'Jeep'; a seven year old
bitch and a very stable dog) Asjabi develops as the leader of the pack.
Other dogs often get a big mouth, but there are also several dogs that
Asjabi is really fond of. Maybe it is a coincidence but all those dogs
are Retrievers or Labradors. Most liked by Asjabi are two Golden
Retriever bitches ('the girls' as we call them) that are roughly the
same age as Asjabi.
3)
Teared off cruciate ligament
During the summer of 2010 Asjabi tears off his cruciate ligament in his
right knee. Our vet advices us to make an appointment at the Wagenrenk
veterinary clinic in Wageningen where Asjabi is operated by Drs.
Govers. The cruciate ligament is fixed using the so-called 'classic
method'.
In the winter of 2010 - 2011, Asjabi is able to walk again really well.
We notice however that his right hind-leg draws a much longer 'track'
through the snow than his other legs. We always meant that this was a
consequence of the operation at Asjabi's cruciate ligament, which led
to a slightly different 'length' or 'tension' in the new cruciate
ligament compared to the old one. Because this effect didn't seem to
bother Asjabi, we didn't ask our vet to check it out.
In the spring of 2011, our Belgian Shepherd Djiep is diagnosed with
bone cancer. Djiep already had trouble with walking long distances so
we made a short walk with both dogs, after which we brought Djiep home
to make a really long walk with Asjabi. To save Djiep from further
suffering, we have to put her down on 3 June 2011. Asjabi seems to deal
the best with the loss.
4) The
first signs
In the early summer of 2011 we notice that when walking, Asjabi doesn’t
move his right hind-leg straight forward, but that it swings slightly
outwards. At that moment, we think that this is a consequence of the
operation a year ago. When we look back we believe that this is the
first sign of DM. Late March 2012 I record the video below that clearly
shows the swinging of the right hind-leg:
March 2012: Asjabi's right hind-leg clearly swings out
Because Asjabi sometimes limps, we ask our vet to
take photos of his right knee, because we fear another problem with his
cruciate ligament. The photo however shows no problems in his knee. The
vet continues his investigation by doing the little 'tric' to verify
DM. He bends the foot backwards, so that the upperside of the toes is
on the tabel. Asjabi immediately corrects his left foot, but his right
foot takes a bit longer. The vet mentions 'dying nerves', but we cannot
foresee what this means.
We look on the internet for more information and the first
story(Dutch only) we read is about the
German Shepherd Tanja who suffered from DM as well. A heart rending
story. What will await Asjabi and us?
5) A little
bit of hope
Because it is possible that the dying nerves are caused by the surgery
of the cruciate ligament (a damaged or pinned nerve), our vet advises
us to go to the Wagenrenk again where Asjabi has been operated at his
cruciate ligament in 2010. Op 22 December 2011 we have an appointment
with Dr. Mandigers. Due to personal circumstances, Dr. Mandigers is not
available, but we are helped by Dr. Bergknut. He performs several
exercises with Asjabi and he suspects a hernia in the lower part of his
back that pinns the nerves. An MRI-scan will give the ultimate proof
but if it is indeed a hernia, then surgery can be a good solution to
free the pinned nerve and stop the nerves from dying. Asjabi is
prescribed Rymadil 100 mg against the pain caused by the hernia.
Because we think that the effect of the Rymadil is not sufficient we
discuss this with out vet who prescribes Previcox 227 mg from early
January 2012.
6) MRI
On 10 January 2012 we go to the Veterinary Medicine Faculty of the
Utrecht University for an MRI. We are welcomed by Dr. Bergknut. Dr.
Mandigers, who is present as well says (even without a really thorough
look) that he doesn't share the opinion of Dr. Bergknut about a hernia
being the main cause of the problem. A sample of blood is being
retracted for a DM test and next Asjabi is anaesthetized for the MRI.
When the results of the MRI are being discussed with Dr. Bergknut, he
tells us that there are indeed signs of a hernia, but that the hernia
can't be fully responsible for Asjabi's situation. The MRI clearly
shows that (the muscles of) the right hind-leg are a lot smaller than
(the muscles of) the left hind-leg. Dr. Bergknut advices us to make an
appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon of the faculty, Dr. Meij.
7) Result
blood test
On 25 January 2012 we receive the result of the lab. According to the
appendix that comes with the result, the test results in one of three
of the following results:
Clear
This means your dog does not have
the mutated strain and it will not develop degenerative myelopathy.
(clear)
Carrier
This means your dog is a carrier of
the gene but will not develop degenerative myelopathy.
Affected
This means that your dog is
affected with degenerative myelopathy and may develop degenerative
myelopathy (affected). Not all dogs with A/A results will develop DM.
The result is the worst possible: Asjabi is tested
as affected with DM.
8)
Meeting with orthopaedic surgeon
On 27 January 2012 we have a long meeting with Dr. Meij. He advices us
not to operate the hernia that Asjabi has. Painkillers are sufficient
enough to fight the pain and an operation and the rehabilitation
basically will result in a weaker dog. In this stage of DM, Asjabi
needs to walk. His muscles need to be stimulated constantly, so enough
exercise as long as we don't go too far. Asjabi is allowed to run as
well, but we are not allowed to provoke this by throwing sticks and
balls. We also need to avoid Asjabi from 'bunnyhupping'. This may
overload his (still) healthy left leg. Because we spoiled Asjabi more
after Djiep died, he now weighs 48 kg. Dr. Meij advises us to let
Asjabi loose some weight, because this may help him during the process.
Dr. Meij tells us that DM can't be cured but that the process can be
slowed down by the proper therapy and exercise. Dr. Meij knows quite
well what we're going through. He also had a wolf-greyish German
Shepherd that has been diagnosed with DM at the age of 7. His dog died
at the age of 10, but had to use a wheelchair during it's final stage.
9)
Hydrotherapy
On 1 February 2012 we start with hydrotherapy in Mierlo at 'Dier en Dokter'
(Animal and Doctor). After an intake with the vet, it is decided that
next to the hydrotherapy, Asjabi will get a monthly injection of a drug
called 'Anabolin' that strengthens his muscles. Next, Asjabi has to
walk on the submerged conveyor belt for 20 minutes. Asjabi is a bit
scary at the start, but little chunks of Frolic are enough to distract
him. In the second half of March 2012, Asjabi has three sessions of
each 40 - 45 minutes. Late March we have to limit the length of the
session to 25 - 30 minutes.
After talking with the vet at 'Dier en Dokter' we
decide to quit the hydrotherapy late June 2012. Asjabi's 'bad' right
leg gets 'tangled' with his left leg, which leads to an insufficient
training of his right leg. We do continue the monthly injections with
Anabolin, but from now on these are being given by our 'own' vet. Since
our last visit to 'Utrecht' we paid attention on the amount of food and
snacks and it paid off: At the end of the hydrotherapy sessions Asjabi
weighs 42.5 kg. So he lost 5.5 kg since late January 2012 and it suits
him well!
10)
Adjustments and aids
Because the DM causes less control on his right hind-leg, we are forced
to make several adjustments to our house. Apart from that, we also
bought several aids.
11) Spiral
staircase
Asjabi has climbed the stairs in our house on a regular base (he sleeps
on or next to our bed) and the DM and the hernia don't stop him from
doing so. Dr. Meij tell us that climbing the staircase once a day isn't
a problem. But next to climbing the stairs, there is also the staircase
itself. It is a spiral staircase with painted steps. The DM in
combination with these steps gives Asjabi far less control in climbing
and descending the staircase and on some occasions we find him trapped
halfway the staircase, because one of his hind legs has slid over the
back end of a step. We place the stair gate at the lower end of the
staircase and with carpet, MDF and a lot of tie-wraps we convert the
open spiral staircase into a dog friendly closed staircase.
12) Shoes
On 25 February 2012 one of Asjabi's nails of his right hind-leg is worn
down so badly that it starts to bleed. We clean the nail with water and
soon the bleeding stops. We decide to buy Asjabi some shoes to protect
his nails from further damage. The first type we buy is a sort of
slipper from 'Europet Bernina'. Simple, but is seems to do the job.
Asjabi has no problems in wearing the shoe and he doesn't make a single
attempt to take the shoe off. He only has to wear his shoes when we
take him for a walk and he can even run a bit in these early stages of
DM. Asjabi will be wearing these shoes until he looses his walking
reflex in his hind legs early April 2013. At that moment we use the
little belts that came with the wheel chair (see below).
Europet Bernina dog shoes
Through a local petshop we are able to buy a pair
of Neopaw Summer dog shoes that he had for sale. The size is right and
they look very cool! These shoes are better then the slippers, but it
is a lot more work to put them on.
13) Biko
Physio Brace
The vet in Mierlo shows us an article about the 'Biko Physio Brace'.
The Biko Physio Brace is also known as 'Biko Hundeexpander'. We ask Dr.
Bergknut if he knows about this aid. He tells us that he doesn’t know
this typical aid and that there are many aids for dogs that suffer from
DM. Some of them work fine, some of them don't. It is simple a matter
of trying this specific aid.
March 2012: Asjabi becomes more and more unstable
The videos on the Biko website
that show the difference between a dog walking with or without the Biko
physio brace convince us and we order one. The first experiences are
really good! Asjabi can make tight turns, he is much more stable and
his right leg swings a lot less.
Video from the Biko website that shows
the effect of the Biko Physio Brace
Asjabi with the Biko Physio Brace
For interested dog owners: It seems as if the
price for private persons is set by the manufacturer. The price of the
Biko Physio Brace is € 144.- (price level: 2012) as well in Austria as
in the Netherlands. The Biko Physio Brace comes with 2 sets of 2
elastics, 2 sets of 3 belts in different lenghts to adjust the Brace
and 2 belts to connect the elastics to the foot of the dog. A similar
harness like Asjabi wears on the photo above is necessary when using
the Biko Physio Brace, but it needs to be purchased separately.
14)
Wheelchair
By early Juni 2012, Asjabi's condition is so worse, that the Biko
Physio Brace gives him insufficient support and we decide to gather
information on a wheelchair. During our search we discover a report
(Dutch only) about experiences of people with a dog in a wheelchair.
We contact hondenrolstoel.nl
(wheelchair-dogs.com)
and we ask for help on a forum where someone advises us to look on the
internet for a second hand wheelchair. We are lucky! A second hand
wheelchair (bought in early 2012 from wheelchair-dogs.com) for a large
dog is available nearby. We contact wheelchair-dogs.com and give them
the measurements of Asjabi. They let us know that this wheelchair
should be large enough for Asjabi. We contact the seller and make an
appointment to let Asjabi test the wheelchair.
After we put Asjabi in the wheelchair he wonders
for a minute or so and then he goes for a walk through the garden. We
decide to buy the wheelchair. The following two weeks we use to let
Asjabi get used to the wheelchair by take him for one walk a day in the
wheelchair. Asjabi isn't all that happy in the beginning and we need to
encourage him to follow us, but later those two weeks he seems to get
used better to the wheelchair.
The last week of June 2012 we take Asjabi with us
on a vacation to the Dutch isle Vlieland. By know, Asjabi totally
accepts his wheelchair. For the first time in months, Asjabi is able to
make really long walks and each day we are on the beach or in the
village. Almost all reactions of other people are positive and Asjabi
is really happy when we get him the harness that comes with the
wheelchair.
June 2012: Asjabi without Biko Physio Brace and wheelchair
June 2012: Asjabi in his wheelchair on Vlieland
June 2012: Asjabi in his wheelchair on Vlieland
June 2012: Asjabi with his wheelchair on Vlieland
June 2012: Asjabi with his wheelchair on Vlieland
In the mean time it is early
November 2012. Asjabi still likes to go walking with his wheelchair.
Even more: when we put him in his wheelchair and we aren't quick enough
to open the gate, Asjabi summons us to hurry up, so he can start his
walk. The muscles in the lower part of his back and his rear legs seem
to shrink by the day and Asjabi's body begins to look like an upside
down pear. Strong and with a lot of muscles at the front, skinny at his
hips and rear legs. The wheelchair came with little belts to tie his
rear legs up to prevent the nails from wearing down, but because Asjabi
still has a 'walking reflex' in his rear legs, we haven't used these
little belts yet.
November 2012: Asjabi with his wheelchair on Vlieland for the 2nd
time
December 2012: This is the way Asjabi moves around without his
wheelchair
December 2012: Despite the fact that Asjabi can't walk
without any aids, he still has a walking reflex in his hind-leg.
When we walk through freshly
fallen snow in December 2012, we notice that a lot of snow sticks to
the wheels of the wheelchair. With heaps of snow at his wheels, Asjabi
drags his wheelchair with him (luckily he is quite strong) and
eventually the snow falls from the wheels, but it makes us want to find
a solution for this problem. A
photo on the Facebook page of Wheelchair-dogs.nl, a couple of
second hand skis on the internet and four 50 mm pipe clamps do the
trick:
Januari 2013: Asjabi on skis
Example of the used pipe clamp. The handle at
the top can be detached because it is of no use
The wheels of the wheelchair are easily cramped in the pipe clamps
Januari 2013: Asjabi on skis in the snow
Asajbi looses his walking
reflex in his hind legs early April 2013. From that moment on we use
the little belts to avoid his feet from dragging over the ground. This
way, Asjabi encounters less resistance when he uses his wheelchair. A
disadvantage is that he is less stable while using his wheelchair. When
for example he is chewing on a stick, his wheelchair can roll back,
causing Asjabi to fall flat on his chest. In the beginning, Asjabi can
get on his feet again by himself, but late April 2013 we have to help
him up by lifting the front end of the wheelchair and the harness.
Early May 2013, Asjabi is
unable to get up the stairs with our help (he sits in out hands whith
his hind legs while he used to walk with his front legs up the stairs).
We decide to let him sleep downstairs from now on. On the other hand,
he is still able to make one hour walks in his wheelchair.
15)
Incontinence
The next stage in the DM process is that - next to the ongoing signs of
paralysis - the dog becomes incontinent. In November 2012 we notice
that Asjabi defecates a couple of times inside our home. This always
happens when we want to take him for a walk. At those moments he is so
happy and wild that he looses the control over his sphincter. At this
moment we don't mind, but it is a sign of the ongoing progress of DM...
About late December 2012 we notice that Asjabi
looses small amounts (droplets) of urine. Next to that, he sometimes
pees inside our home when he is very excited (for instance when another
dog is inside). We suspect that this is a further step in developing
incontinence. We make an appointment with the vet and we do some
research on the internet. We find four different kind of drugs:
Propalin, Enurace, Incurin and IncontinentieStop (IncontinenceStop).
During the appointment, the vet notices that
Asjabi's bladder is quite full, despite the fact that he urinated just
a couple of minutes earlier. He suspects that Asjabi's ureter is being
pinched off while he is in his wheel chair, so he is unable to empty
his bladder well enough. This could be a reason for Asjabi's urine
loss. The vet shows us how to help Asjabi to empty his bladder by
applying proper pressure to his bladder ('expressing
the bladder'). Please take notice: Ask your vet to
demonstrate this technique for you! Also: By applying enough
pressure, you can even open the sphincter of the bladder, but we only
had to use this technique when Asjabi urinated by its own. Late April
2013 we discover a trick to help Asjabi to urinate. With quick
handmovements we caress Asjabi on both sides of his abdomen until we
feel that his belly starts to swell and he looses a few droples of
urine. At that moment we apply proper pressure to his bladder to let
Asjabi urinate. As for the drugs: The vet advises Propalin, because he
has seen the best results with it, better than with Enurace or Incurin.
IncontinenceStop isn't a drug but a food supplement.
At the same time we also buy a Karlie 'Gentleman
Wrap'. This some kind of wide belt that can be used for dogs that for
instance suffer from a mild form of incontinence. Asjabi wears this
belt at night, together with a Tena lady 'sanitary napkin'. Just as
with his shoes, Asjabi accepts the belt without any problems. The belt
with the sanitary napkin does the job and together with our aid when he
needs to urinate, Asjabi hardly looses any urine anymore. At this
moment we don't use the Propalin but we just keep expressing the
bladder.
Karlie 'Gentleman Wrap'
During the same appointment with the vet, Asjabi
is being weighed for the first time since the end of the hydrotherapy.
Especially because of the reduction of his muscles in his hind-legs,
Asjabi now weighs 37 kg. Due to his fur, the weight loss is hardly
noticeable, but when we caress Asjabi we feel his bones sticking out.
Late January 2013 we realise that the 'Karlie
Gentleman Wrap' isnt the proper solution for Asjabi's incontinence. The
Wrap shifts too easy and we switch to the Snuggease daiper
for dogs. We buy two Snuggease daipers (Twinpack). A twinpack Snuggease
is reasonably priced and it enables us to rinse the Snuggease on a
daily bases and properly wash them once a week. For the time being we
use the Snuggease without the Tena lady 'sanitary napkin'. We also made
the hole in the Snuggease for the dogs tail a bit bigger to allow
Asjabi to defecate outside the Snuggease.
When the weather becomes a bit warmer in April
2013, we realise that the Snuggease might be too warm for Asjabi. We
buy the 'Karlie Gentleman Wrap' in a larger size (XL) and put the
lining of an ordinary daiper in it. The surface to collect fluid is
larger (Asjabi is a large dog) and the chance that his penis isn't
covered by a piece of the daiper is a lot less compared to the sanitary
napkin we used before.
SnuggEase daiper for dogs
Despite all the aids we use,
we sometimes have to clean up little bits of urine or turds (luckily
they are firm). No matter how good you clean these spots, it is almost
unevitable that these spots begin to smell. To avoid nasty smells, we
use 'Beau Beau Geurweg' ('Beau Beau get-rid-of-smells'). This substance
contains micro-organisms that 'eat' the last remains of dirt, thus
avoiding foul smells. Beau Beau Get-rid-of-smells is available
at pet stores.
Beau Beau Get-rid-of-smells
Late January 2013 we start
with the SnuggEase and the Propalin together, but because the Propalin
causes Asjabi's faeces to get thinner (luckily it isn't diarrhea) we
quit using the Propalin a week later. For the time being we continue to
help him empty his bladder and at night Asjabi wears his SnuggEase (and
the Karlie Gentleman Wrap since April 2013). Early March 2013 the
incontinence gets worse and Asjabi looses often and more urine, so we
need to clean up little puddles of urine more often. Because Propalin
causes thinner faeces, we try IncontinenceStop. We read a lot of good
stories about it on their website and on 12 March 2013 we start with
IncontinenceStop. After about two weeks it is hard to say if
IncontinenceStop really works, but accoring to their instructions,
IncontinenceStop should become effective after a month. A couple of
weeks later we have the idea that IncontinentieStop is partially
effective. Asjabi seems to loose less urine, but IncontinentieStop
can't prevent Asjabi to pee inside the house.
16)
Mental aspect
Although DM on itself is a painless disease, the dog can suffer from
pain that in a way is caused by DM. Asjabi is a very vivid dog and the
DM can cause him to fall down and hurt himself. When we see him looking
at us in an unhappy way, we help him on his feet again and we massage
him. Next to that, his nails wear down and this can cause pain as well.
But apart from that: Asjabi should be aware of the fact that his hind
legs don't do what his brain 'thinks'. You can explain DM or a similar
disease like ALS to a human being, but you can't explain this to a dog.
We simply don't know is Asjabi is 'unhappy' at this moment and if he
is, what to do about it. We notice however that Asjabi barks a lot more
when someone is at our front door (luckily we have old aged
neighbours). After Djieps dead, Asjabi already barked more, but this
behaviour is now even more prominent. We're not sure, but we think that
this comes because Asjabi is 'unsure' about what is happing to him.
The lady that takes Asjabi for a walk during the
day told us already in late September 2012 about a reading of one of
her dogs. I was quite sceptic about a reading, but my wife really
wanted it and because it wouldn't hurt Asjabi, we send Karlijn of 1goedgevoel.nl (a
good feeling) a photo of Asjabi and some questions. We wanted to know
if Asjabi was still a happy dog. About three weeks later, Karlijn
phoned us with the 'results' of the reading. She told us things that
she couldn't have known by herself or that she could have read on this
page.
Asjabi told her that he was proud that he wore the
collar of Djiep (he had ruined his own - brand new - collar and I'd
given him the collar of Djiep), that he thinks that Banzai is often too
pushy (Banzai can be really pushy sometimes), that he always sleeps on
the bed with an old woman (about the time of the reading, our
(step)daughter lived with us for a couple of months) and that he went
on holiday with a boat and a blue car (the taxibus on Vlieland had a
blue interior). The most important thing however was that despite of
his handicap, Asjabi still feels happy and that he has no pain, but
that he feels a bit groggy sometimes (this could be a side effect of
the Previcox).
In April 2013 we sense a slighty different mood
with Asjabi. He still likes to go walking in his wheelchair, but when
we are at home it seems as if Asjabi starts to realise that his body
abandons him.
17) Asjabi
becomes famous!
Early October 2012 we receive a phonecall by wheelchair-dogs.com. They
tell us that they gave our telephone number to the editorial staff of
the Dutch glossy LINDA
who are working on an article about handicapped dogs. Within a week,
Asjabi and his wheelchair are on a stage at a photostudio in Amsterdam.
Asjabi behaves exemplary and the photographer takes a few beautiful
pictures of him. After a video interview and a walk in the Amsterdam
Vondelpark we go home. That evening we are being interviewed by phone
by one of the people of the editorial staff.
A backstage video about the article is published
on YouTube on 20 November 2012. Asjabi and his masters appear for a
mere eight seconds in this video (at 0:09, 0:17 and 0:38 - 0:44), but
Asjabi is so proud!
Backstage video LINDA
The 100th edition of LINDA
is published on 21 November 2012 and yes: He is in it! The article (in
Dutch) can be downloaded
here.
18)
Asjabi looses the fight against DM
Around May 2013, Asjabi is - when not in his wheelchair - only able to
roll from one side to the other (only when his hind legs don't get
entagled). Further more he only can turn his body 180° when he has
enough hold on furniture or carpets in our house. However, he isn't
able to get around the house by himself, so we always need to help him
with this. On several occasions we notice him grumbling when he wants
something, but isn't able to. He also chokes many times when he eats
and drinks because he has to do this while lying down and in general it
seems as if Asjabi slowly becomes frustrated because of the
deterioration by the DM.
We also notice that when Asjabi is in his
wheelchair, his body is slowly abandoning him. The sheeps at the
children's farm in the nearby park are still interesting, but sometimes
even a stroll is too fast for him, especially when it is warmer.
Asjabi's head still wants to, but his body isn't capable to. On several
occasions he falls down with his wheelchair because his front legs
don't have sufficient strength to correct the wheelchair when it rolls
backwards.
We consult our vet and after thinking everything
over, my wife and I decide on 5 June 2013 that Asjabi is entitled to
have a worthy end of his life. Although we love him with all our heart,
we think that we will act selfish if we want to keep him with us for
much longer.
On 7 June 2013 the vet comes at our house to put
Asjabi down in the presence of my wife and me. We are shattered and he
will hold a special place in our heart forever.
We take him to a crematorium in Boxtel and in the
near future we will scatter his ashes - together with Djiep's - at the
river Dommel in Eindhoven where we walked a lot and where Djiep and
Asjabi used to swim in the summer.
Asjabi is born (presumably on this day) in
France.
24 January 2005
We pick up Asjabi at the ‘Poor Animal’
foundation in Prinsenbeek.
25 August 2010
Our vet makes an X-ray of Asjabi’s right
knee because he limps several times and spares his right hind-leg. The
vet however doesn't sees any impediments.
3 September 2010
Because Asjabi's condition gets worse, our
vet directs us to the Wagenrenk veterinary clinic in Wageningen, where
we have an appointment with Dr. Govers. Zij detects a teared off
cruciate ligament.
10 September 2010
Asjabi is operated at the Wagenrenk
veterinary clinic in Wageningen by Dr. Govers. His cruciate ligament is
fixed with the so-called 'classic method’.
3 June 2011
We have to put down our Belgium Shepherd
Djiep down due to bone cancer. We also notice that Asjabi's right
hind-leg swings out a tiny bit. In March 2012 we record a video of it. Video 1
30 September 2011
Our vet makes another set of X-rays because
Asjabi seems to have a problem with his right knee again. He sends the
X-rays to the Wagenrenk veterinary clinic in Wageningen. The X-rays
don't show any abnormalities.
Our vet also does a little test by bending Asjabi’s hind-legs back.
Asjabi corrects his left hind-leg immediately, his right hind-leg
follows after a couple of seconds. Our vet mentions 'a dying
nerve-system’ and on the internet we find information about
Degenerative Myelopathy and the
story (Dutch only) about the German Shepherd Tanja.
7 December 2011
Because Asjabi's complaints also can be
caused by a hernia, more X-rays are made from Asjabi's hips and lower
back. These X-rays are send to the Wagenrenk veterinary clinic in
Wageningen to be checked.
22 December 2011
We have an appointment at the Wagenrenk
veterinary clinic in Wageningen where Dr. Bergknut sees Asjabi. He
suspects that Asjabi's complaints are caused by a hernia that might be
operable. Asjabi is prescribed Rimadyl 100 mg because of the pain that
is caused by the hernia.
Next to that, an appointment is made at the Faculty of Veterinaryology
in Utrecht for an MRI to find the nature and location of the hernia.
2 January 2012
Because we suspect that the Rimadyl 100 mg
works insufficiently, our vet prescribes Previcox 227 mg.
10 January 2012
An MRI is made at the Faculty of
Veterinaryology in Utrecht. Next to that, a blood sample is drawn to
test Asjabi on DM. This test is conducted at the Dr. Van Haeringen
laboratorium.
25 January 2012
We receive the result of the blood test at
the Dr. Van Haeringen laboratorium by mail. Asjabi is tested as being
affected by DM.
27 January 2012
We have an appointment with Dr. Meij at the
Faculty of Veterinaryology in Utrecht. He tells us that DM can't be
cured, but that the process can be slowed down by hydrotherapy for
instance. He also advises us to let Asjabi loose some weight, because
he weighs 48 kg.
1 February 2012
We start with two sessios of hydrotherapy a
week at ‘Dier en Dokter’ (Animal and Doctor) in Mierlo. The vet at
‘Dier en Dokter’ suggests to give Asjabi a four-weekly injection with
Anabolin to strenghten his muscles.
25 February 2012
Asjabi’s nails are worn down that m,uch that
they start to bleed. To protect his nails we decide to buy dog shoes.
19 March 2012
After three weeks with two sessions of
hydrotherapy a week we switch to three sessions of hydrotherpy a week.
3 April 2012
Due to the fact that Asjabi stands and walks
less stable (video 2),
the vet at ‘Dier en Dokter’ shows us the Biko Physio Brace (‘Biko
Hundeexpander’). We ask Dr. Bergknut if he knows about this aid, but he
doesn't. A video (video 3)
on the website of Biko convinces us and we buy the Biko Physio Brace.
Asjabi stands a lot more stable and he can even run a bit. He still
needs to wear his shoes.
4 June 2012
The DM has deteriorated Asjabi’s nerve
system so much that the Biko Physio Brace is of hardly any use (video 4)
and we start to look for a wheelchair. On the internet we find a second
hand wheelchair that - according to the supplier - should fit Asjabi.
9 June 2012
Together with Asjabi we go to see the
wheelchair. We put him in the wheelchair and after a minute he starts
to wander through the garden. We decide to buy the wheelchair and the
next two weeks we slowly let Asjabi get used to his wheelchair.
20 June 2012
After talking to the vet in Mierlo we decide
to quit with the hydrotherapy because Asjabi's bad (right) hind-leg
gets tangled behind his good (left) hind-leg. From now on, the
four-weekly injections of Anabolin are being given by our 'own' vet.
Asjabi weighs 42.5 kg.
22 June 2012
Together with Asjabi we go on a one week
vacation to the ilse of Vlieland. Thanks to the wheelchair, the
vacation is a success! Asjabi can walk for several miles and the
wheelchair proves to be a success. Video 5 Video 6 Video 7
9 Oktober 2012
Asjabi co-operates at a photoshoot for the
100th edition of the glossy ‘LINDA’. After a
video-interview in the studio and an interview by phone at our place,
we wait how Asjabi will show up in ‘LINDA’.
23 Oktober 2012
Because Asjabi licks his penis frequently,
we ask the vet to test his urine. We fear an infection, but no
abnormalities show up.
17 November 2012
We leave for another short vacation to the
ilse of Vlieland and Asjabi comes with us. Asjabi can be seen
frequently on the beach, in the woods or in the village. Video 8
20 November 2012
A backstage video of the photoshoot appears
on the website of the ‘LINDA’. Video 9
21 November 2012
The 100th edition of
‘LINDA’ appears with the
article about Asjabi.
8 December 2012
Despite the fact that Asjabi has used the
wheelchair for the last six months, his legs still have a walking
reflex. Video 10
Despite being in a wheelchair for six months, he still enjoys to carry
large sticks. Video 11
When not in his wheelchair, Asjabi only uses his front-legs Video 12
9 January 2013
The vet prescribes 'Propalin' because Asjabi
looses tiny bits of urine. ‘Propalin’ fights the symptoms of
incontinence. We also buy a ‘Karlie Gentleman Wrap’ for Asjabi to wear
at night, together with a Tena lady 'sanitary napkin'. For the time
being we only use the ‘Karlie Gentleman Wrap’ with the 'sanitary
napkin'. Next to that we express Asjabi's bladder during his walks in
the wheelchair. Asjabi now weighs 37 kg.
11 January 2013
Due to the snow, we attach skis on Asjabi's
wheelchair. In fresh and deep snow, the skis prove to be usefull. Video 13
18 Februari 2013
Due to the disappointing effect of the
‘Karlie Gentleman Wrap’ we switch to the SnuggEase daipers for dogs.
12 March 2013
Because Asjabi's incontinence gets worse and
the Propalin makes his faeces rather soft, we switch to
IncontinenceStop because of the positive stories about it on the
manufacturers website.
1 April 2013
Asjabi no longer has a walking reflex in his
hind legs and because of that we use the little belts to keep his feet
from the ground.
5 May 2013
Even with our help, Asjabi has hardly any
strength left to get up the stairs, so he sleeps downstairs from now
on. A one hour walk in his wheelchair however is hardly a problem.
7 June 2013
Asjabi's condition has deteriorated rapidly
the last couple of weeks and after consulting our vet we have made the
decision to put him down. He will hold a special place in our heart
forever.