I read somewhere last week that a dog will give you hundreds of the best days of your life as well as one of the worst...
Well, the latter one is coming for me tomorrow, as I bid farewell to my best buddy, Max.
Started noticing some very minor motor skill issues in his back legs around Christmas of '23... figured this wasn't completely abnormal for a very active 8+ yr-old GSD... just some arthritis, right? Continued regular vet visits and added some supplements to his diet but really saw no improvement. Over time he continued to slide, but it was a very gradual progression.
After some research into his symptoms and additional testing, including two visits to the Mississippi State School of Veterinary Medicine, it was determined that he was suffering from Degenerative Myelopathy (DM); a progressive and incurable disease of the spinal cord/nerves leading to eventual paralysis. There's no pain involved, but it's ultimately fatal.
Beating the odds by a good margin timewise, Max adapted and has done as well as could be expected... he's maintained a good appetite, been alert and watchful of squirrels and other interlopers in his domain (his self-appointed duty over the years) and seemed in fairly normal spirits.
His 'wheels' have played a big part in that, I believe. His wheelchair has allowed him a few good months that he otherwise wouldn't have had... He can't be in it all the time, but every time he heard the word "Wheels", he would perk up and was ready to get hitched up and go... he still had the will and the drive.
That's the worst thing about this disease... his mind remains 100% while his body progressively fails him; and it's failed him more rapidly over the past couple of weeks... to the point where I'm pretty sure he understands.
Those of you who've been through this have recognized that time when your pal finally says to you, "It's okay... you can let me go now."
That's where I'm at... and my heart hurts.
Love you, Max... I'm sure gonna miss you, buddy.
Reply With Quote
