Wobblers??? Our Great Dane....

[threedogmom]

Hi all.

I'm back again. This time it is not my Beagle with cancer...but now our GREAT DANE has an issue.

Last Monday, the 11th, we noticed our Dane was having some coordination troubles with her hind legs...looked as if they were asleep and she was tripping over them. We thought maybe she injured herself and we decided to watch and see. After a few days, she seemed a bit worse, this time if she tried to walk fast, she'd fall down in her hind area. We did some Internet searching and found info on Wobblers and in reading it, sounds as if this may be the problem. But, I just spoke with my vet and my an appt. to get her in tomorrow but HE said Wobblers affects all four limbs. I'm not one to argue, but nothing we found on the Internet said this, it stated hind limbs are affected.

So anyway, just wondering if anybody had any experience with this and can offer insight? Our Dane just turned eight and has been extremely healthy until last Monday. To watch her walk, her back legs give the impression she is "drunk" as they just have a mind of their own and stumble all over themselves, or she falls down, landing on her rump.

We are completely baffled as to what could have caused this. She isn't a hyper dog, she doesn't run and jump or get rough...she's very passive and laid back, so we can't fathom an injury of any kind. The ONLY difference in her life has been one I made four weeks ago when I switched all three dogs to Orijen kibble. I did a ton of research before deciding on this food, as it sounded like the best "human grade" dry kibble you could feed a dog. It's odd that this has happened to her within a few weeks of changing her food but this stuff is HIGH quality...she was eating "junk" before.....well, what some would consider junk compared to Orijen. She had been eating a brand of dog food bought at Petsmart, for her first 8 years, Nature's Choice.

Again, just looking for some insight here....I had never even heard of Wobblers until we typed her symptoms into a search engine and went from there.

Thank you to anybody who can shed some light.

[SalemWitchChild]

Even a dog that is laid back can take a wrong step or jump down from a point too high and injure something. It doesn't have to be that hard and symptoms can take a day or two to surface. I would be wary of anything on the net. You simply do not know who wrote it and what their credentials are.

The best thing to do is have the vet do xrays and see if there is anything obvious.

[Cearbhaill]

Good links here-
http://www.greatdanelady.com/article...dr_wittles.htm

"In Great Danes, a true wobbler is usually seen between the ages of 3-12 months of age. The outstanding symptom is a slowly developing, progressive, incoordination and paralysis of the hind limbs. This paresis and/or incoordination is caused by pressure on the spinal cord as it passes thru the vertebrae of the neck, the last three being the most prominent sites. The animal may appear clumsy, "wobbling" or display swaying of the rear legs. On slick surfaces it may be difficult or impossible to walk. The dog may fall when attempting to turn and the toes of the hind feet may drag when walking. The dog usually has its legs spread out as far as possible trying to better balance itself. Initially front leg involvement is minimal or undetectable."

If you are not into nutritional support you can skip over that aspect and still benefit from the rest.
it is a complex issue and learning as much as possible can only help.
Good luck...

[Aescleah]

this is a video of wobblers
HEART BREEAKING!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F9MhVfPe7Y

Ashley

[Dobified]

Dobermans are prone to this genetic disease here is some info on it:

http://www.dpca.org/PublicEd/PEC/PECGeneticCVI.html

WOBBLERS SYNDROME OR CERVICAL VERTEBRAL INSTABILITY

The term "Wobblers Syndrome" is descriptive of the gait exhibited by dogs affected by CVI. However, an unstable or "wobbling" gait can be caused by a slipped disc, a misshapen or misaligned vertabrae, instability of the vertabrae, narrowing of the spinal canal, and other causes. All of these medical conditions affect the Dobermans ability to stand, move properly and to be pain free. The compression of the spinal cord then produces the awkward wobbling movement that gives this disease its call name. The primary disease condition lies in the bony structures that surround and normally guard & support the spinal cord.

In Doberman Pinschers, the majority of cases involve C5, C6, or C7. These are cervical or neck vertabrae. The front or the hind quarters of the dog can be affected, as can be the raising or lowering of the neck, or basically any part of the body. Dogs can "knuckle over" on their rear feet. Some have no neck pain, some exhibit neck pain upon manipulation.

Treatment usually starts with doses of corticosteroids and rest. Surgery is frequently prescribed for these dogs. Newer, less invasive, controversial therapies that have been used in some cases with some success, includes gold bead implantation, a special neck wrap, and accupuncture.

Diagnosis is usually via a procedure called a myelogram. The myelogram is a fairly invasive procedure, so one would be cautious and have it administered by *experienced* professionals, as the adverse effects of some myelogram can be as devastating, and in some cases worse than the original disease. An alternative, less invasive, imaging therapy is the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is now available through most large specialty veterinary practices.

The more severe the case, the less chance for the dog to recover. Once the dog has lost deep pain reflex, the chances of recovery are basically nil. Recovery from the various surgeries can take 3 to 10 months of crate rest, walking on leash, and feeding from an elevated source.

No one can say definitively what causes C.V.I. Conformation of the neck-shoulder tie in has been looked at, as has nutrition and dog foods, injuries, as well as heritability. There have been nutritional studies that show bone, and the spinal support system is bone, can be affected by adverse, inadequate, or
improper nutritional supplementation. However, Veterinarians usually see more of this disease in certain breeds, so this leads us to believe there must be some type of hereditary basis to this, perhaps with an environmental component.

Most DPCA Breeders will look backwards thru pedigrees with an eye to trying to reduce the risk of C.V.I. in future animals. This studying of the pedigrees, with an in depth knowledge of dogs present AND long past, is one reason why you want to go to a DPCA breeder for your Doberman Pinscher.

CVI - alternatives to surgery
Gold bead implant therapy

Collection of information about wobblers syndrome


submitted by
Suzanne McDonald
DPCA Public Education Committee
edited by
Helayne Silver
DPCA Public Education Committee

[shadowfacedanes]

Wobblers used to be a death sentence but now with Gold Beads, I know many danes who have gone on to live pretty normal lives and function well.

Here's a directory of vets who do GBI's though if you're anywhere near Indiana, Dr. Durkes is the guru and many of my dane aquaintances have driven from several states away to see him because of his expertise.

Also, not to argue with your vet, but wobblers in MANY cases that I am aware of, does not affect all four limbs, and typically it is the back limbs that show the most abnormality.

The drunken stagger that you describe strikes me as a typical wobblers scenaro. I'd have someone experienced with the disorder check your dane out. You can contact the nearest vet college and ask for recommendations.

[EmmaGirl]

I had a wonderful colt that developed Wobbler's Disease. He was 14 months old. All I know ( about this aspect in horses) is that the verbetebra in the neck fuse together, throwing the balance off. Sorry, I don't know much about the Danes. It is heartbreaking at the least!