Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive, incurable spinal cord disease that primarily affects older large-breed dogs, with a long disease course that requires careful welfare management as function declines.
DM presents a prolonged welfare challenge because dogs remain mentally sharp while progressively losing physical function. Good welfare requires aggressive nursing care: regular repositioning, skin inspection, urinary management (manual expression or catheterisation in later stages), and maintenance of activity through adaptive equipment. Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy can maintain muscle mass and quality of life significantly. The greatest welfare risk is allowing the dog to remain in an immobile, urine-soaked state without stimulation. Owners should receive clear guidance on quality-of-life assessment, with attention to indicators such as continued engagement, appetite, pain-free posture, and social interaction. Euthanasia decisions should be made before secondary complications like aspiration pneumonia cause suffering.