Anyone who knows me knows about Dewey; he has been by my side since I was 19 years old and he was 7 weeks old. In late March/early April, a few weeks before his 11th birthday, we started noticing some coordination issues with his back legs and what we now know to be called “knuckling,” where he sometimes lands with his back left foot on his toes instead of his paw pad. At first, I assumed it was normal due to his age, but I've come to find out it’s a major sign of a neurological issue.

As of right now, we do know his spine looks remarkable, especially for a dog of his size and age, but after testing his spinal fluid, his neurologist is fairly certain he has what is called Degenerative Myelopathy. The disease is a hereditary condition that is basically the dog version of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. It seems to still be in the early stages of the progression of the disease, and he is not in any pain, but slowly over time he will lose function of his back legs and will need a wheelchair at some point in time to keep him mobile.

I am fundraising to help with the cost we’ve accrued finding out what is going on and for the continued care he’ll need as the disease progresses.