Myasthenia Gravis and Dogs




1)    Can you tell us a bit about Bailey?

Bailey is now 6 years old (born 7 March 2011). She is a Saint Bernard. She is very sweet-natured, very protective and a very sensitive soul. She is very intuitive of emotion and can feel when one of us needs comforting. But just as with humans, the cortisone can make her a bit irritated. She LOVES cheese and plain yoghurt to the point of addiction, and of course any attention.

2)    When did you first notice her symptoms? 

We noticed the first symptoms a few weeks after Bailey got spayed. She has Acquired MG that was triggered by the anesthetic used during the operation. She was 1 year old. Her hind legs just started to give way and she couldn't stand up anymore. This slowly escalated to her front legs also until she was paralysed in all four legs. By then we took her to the Vet a couple of times already to try and diagnose. They came up with anything from hip dysplasia to a broken pelvis. We then took her to Bryanston Vet Hospital, where they have a Veterinary Physician called Dr. Remo Lobetti. He recognised her symptoms from seeing it once before in a Great Dane in Cape Town. By the time she got to Dr. Remo, she could hardly breathe and couldn't hold any food or water down anymore.

3)    Who diagnoses MG in dogs and who should someone go to if they suspect it? 

Most vets will never see Myasthenia Gravis in their lifetime. The best option would be to go to a Specialist Vet Hospital such as Johannesburg Specialist Veterinary Centre or Bryanston Veterinary Hospital. These are just two options of many throughout South Africa. Dogs are diagnosed either via (anti-AChR antibody titre), a Tensilon test (search on YouTube, it's interesting to see), or by trial Mestinon. We went the Mestinon route as it's quicker and more easily available, and sure enough Bailey started to improve.

4)    What treatment/ medication is Bailey on? 

Bailey was started initially on 60 mg Mestinon twice daily, and immunosuppressive doses of prednisone. She is now stabilised on 60 mg Mestinon once daily and occasional prednisone. When we notice that she is going through a bad patch, we up her Mestinon for about a month to twice daily, and then bring it down again to once daily.


5)    How does Baily cope on a day to day level? 

She copes remarkably well, as long as she takes it easy, keeps her play times short with rest periods in between, and rests well throughout the day and night. We try to keep her calm, as excitement depletes her muscle strength quickly. She struggles with temperature fluctuations. Heat wears her out really bad, and cold makes her muscles very stiff.

6)    Does Bailey have a special diet? 

She eats high quality dry food (Royal Canin kibble), as dry food swallows easier during times where her esophagus acts up. She does get extra protein (through raw egg), vitamins, and flax seed oil to boost her as much a possible. 

7)    What advice do you have for other Dog mums in this situation?

MG takes time to stabilise. It's hard at first to know when the medication is exactly right, since your dog can't tell you how they feel. You have to be very finely tuned to their behaviour to be able to tweak their medication to the right dosage. Look at them when they walk, sit with them, listen to their breathing. And never underestimate the power of cortisone :).

8)    How can someone gain support/knowledge about this topic? 

There are support groups for MG and Megaoesophagus on Facebook (Canine Myasthenia Gravis, Canine Megaesophagus support group, Upright Canine Brigade, and of course Bailey's page, Bailey the MG Super Dog). There is not much difference between human MG and Canine MG, it's the same disease in a different body, so read up on human MG site online. 




9)    Does Bailey have any other Autoimmune issues?

Like many humans, Bailey's MG goes together with another autoimmune issue. She has Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) a.k.a Collie Nose (which causes a dog to lose the pigmentation around the nose). I've attached a photo of her from when her nose was more affected. She has since stabilised again and her nose is looking better. 

10)  Anything you would like to share?  
Bailey also had a Myasthenic Crisis a few times, where the only thing that pulled her through were very high doses of prednisone. Many MG moms and dads underestimate the effectiveness of immunosuppressive doses of prednisone during a Crisis.

Comments

  1. This is a great post! Bailey is a trooper, and I'm glad she has such a great mom! -bsrealtalk.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Agravis (MG) in 2011 after the birth of my daughter. My symptoms included but were not limited to drooped eyelids, slurred speech and severe fatigue. It took doctor months to finally diagnose the problem. MY symptoms started as early as 2005 with fatigue. I had the Thymectomy surgery in 2009. It helped but not a cure as hoped. I started out taking Multivitamin Herbal Cure natural organic herbs that I saw on YouTube comment. The herbal products were taken 2 times daily morning and evening after meals with a teaspoon because it was liquid herbs. The herbal cured my Myasthenia gravis (MG) which surprise my doctor as well. There is no conventional treatment for this disease, but there is a herbal approach that has worked in treating the disease. This mg herbal treatment is a modern-day version of this herbal approach that has worked in effectively reversing MG across Africa and the Uk for centuries I still feel fatigued sometimes but the double vision and difficulty speaking stop totally. Overall I live a normal lifestyle now. I have been on my job in retail management for 10+ years and have never missed time off due to MG, a blessing. This is their contact info to order the herbal cure from them multivitamincare .org or  (Call/SMS): +1 -956- 758-7882

      Delete


  2. I am a female patient with Myasthenia Gravis for 30 years and I have suffered tremendously because of this disorder. I had a thymectomy twenty five years ago and still have symptoms of MG. I came across Best Health Herbal Centre website after so many years researched through the internet. I was so desperate to find a way to treat this disorder naturally. Thank God for leading me to Best Health Herbal Centre. I started using Best Health Herbal Centre MG herbal formula this year. After 10 weeks of usage, my MG was totally reversed, symptoms like muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing, double vision, fatigue, impaired voice, or shortness of breath disappeared completely..Am now 67 years old living MG free. To know more about Best Health Herbal Centre visit w w w besthealthherbalcentre c o m Thanks..

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had myasthenia gravis since 2015. I got medically discharged out of the Army, a job I loved well. My heart had 5 myasthenic crises, 3 being severe enough to be ventilated or require CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) helmet. I have had countless plasma exchanges as my veins are bad. I also needed Hickman lines inserted. I have been on azathioprine, mycophenolate (CellCept), methotrexate and none have worked. I'm currently done with my herbal remedy I purchase from totalcureherbsfoundation .com which has totally cured my condition with a surprise after almost four months of their usage, I was discouraged and never thought I would be myasthenia gravis (MG) free ,to me the best to get rid of this condition is totalcureherbsfoundation com treatment because all medications I used never worked include mycophenolate (CellCept)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I started on COPD Herbal treatment from Ultimate Life Clinic, the treatment worked incredibly for my lungs condition. I used the herbal treatment for almost 4 months, it reversed my COPD. My severe shortness of breath, dry cough, chest tightness gradually disappeared. Reach Ultimate Life Clinic via their website at www.ultimatelifeclinic.com . I can breath much better and It feels comfortable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Agravis (MG) in 2011 after the birth of my daughter. My symptoms included but were not limited to drooped eyelids, slurred speech and severe fatigue. It took doctor months to finally diagnose the problem. MY symptoms started as early as 2005 with fatigue. I had the Thymectomy surgery in 2009. It helped but not a cure as hoped. I started out taking Multivitamin Herbal Cure natural organic herbs that I saw on YouTube comment. The herbal products were taken 2 times daily morning and evening after meals with a teaspoon because it was liquid herbs. The herbal cured my Myasthenia gravis (MG) which surprise my doctor as well. There is no conventional treatment for this disease, but there is a herbal approach that has worked in treating the disease. This mg herbal treatment is a modern-day version of this herbal approach that has worked in effectively reversing MG across Africa and the Uk for centuries I still feel fatigued sometimes but the double vision and difficulty speaking stop totally. Overall I live a normal lifestyle now. I have been on my job in retail management for 10+ years and have never missed time off due to MG, a blessing. This is their contact info to order the herbal cure from them multivitamincare .org or  (Call/SMS): +1 -956- 758-7882

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am a retired navy veteran and was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in September 2020. After a bout of left ear infection and TMD (Temporomandibular disorder), symptoms persisting were eyelid drooping, slurred speech, drooling and overall muscle weakness in the left hand grip, increased fatigue and unsteady walking. I'm now taking www. madibaherbalcenter . com herbal cure (3 months) and I have been receiving a great improvement since I started the remedy, I find joy in being able to go out by myself and catch a movie. “It’s been wonderful, and it’s been life-changing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exercise for Myasthenia Gravis: a necessity not a luxury

All you need to know about shelf-life and storage of Mestinon

Therapeutic Journaling