LIVING with Dogs with Degenerative Myelopathy: Live Program

In Progress. Next Session Beginning in April 2021. Waitlist Available!

Who is this Program For?

The dog parent who wants to learn more and do more to help their dog with DM.

If you’ve recently been told your dog has DM (degenerative myelopathy) you may be feeling like you are at the beginning of the end. Or maybe you are a little farther along and doing everything you know of to help your dog stay upright…. but are haunted by what will happen when he can no longer use his hind legs.... If you want to be empowered with knowledge and skills that you can put to use, your are in the right place.

DM Group Program

Program highlights include therapeutic exercise, deep dive into equipment at various stages, home care/hygiene, basic nutrition, massage techniques, when to go to the vet, and more! My goal is to give you more than knowledge. I want you to feel supported and to finish this course with a plan for helping your dog with DM.

  • 6 week program with pre-recorded video lessons weekly

  • Weekly livestreams/discussion forum

  • Zoom discussion rooms

  • Private Facebook group to share video, ask questions, and receive group and teacher feedback & support

  • Scheduled Q&As to get your questions answered

  • And more!

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Getting Started!

  • 2

    Program Information

  • 3

    Week 1 : Welcome! Getting started with DM at the various stages

    • Overview Therapeutic Approaches: Physiotherapy

    • Overview Therapeutic Approaches: Clemmons Protocol

    • Overview Therapeutic Approaches: An Integrative Approach (Marsden)

    • Overview of Therapeutic Approaches: Laser therapy and Physiotherapy

    • The S.A.M. System Exercise & Planning Tool

    • Talking About Traction - Quick TIPS!

  • 4

    Week 2 Therapeutic Exercise & Equipment

    • Week 2 Overview of Exercise e& Equipment

    • Exercise Safety for Dogs with DM

    • Fatigue Management in Dogs with DM

    • Therapeutic exercises & Baseline Function

    • Walk the Dog - cardio conversation for various stages of DM

    • Movement Aides: Rear Support

    • Movement Aides. Part 2. Paws!

    • The Home Exercise Program

  • 5

    Week3 Dogs in Wheels

    • Dogs in Wheels

    • Intro to Carts

    • Rear Cart Options

    • Cart Comparison Chart

    • Sat March 6 Zoom Invite

  • 6

    Week 4 Optimizing Nutrition

    • Intro to Nutrition and Supplementation

    • Setting the Stage: Nutrition & Metabolism

    • The Ideal Diet

    • Potentially Beneficial Supplements for Dogs with DM

    • SAM System Check In

    • Live 1:1 Question Period, Wk 4

  • 7

    Week 5 Home Care

    • Intro to Home Environment & Care

    • Home Environment: Early DM

    • Home Health and Safety Checklist

    • Urinary Tract Infection Prevention

    • Bathing a Dog with Degenerative Myelopathy

    • Wk 5 Live 1:1 Question Period. Sat Mar 20, 10:45AM ET

  • 8

    Week 6 Modalities & Integrative Therapies

    • Intro Wk 6 - Integrative Practices and Mental Health

    • Intro to Fascia & Meridians

    • modalities DM

    • ZOOM Thursday March 25, 7pm ET

  • 9

    BONUS WEEK!

    • Zoom link Thursday Live 1:1 Question Period

    • SAM System - Rear weakness and Proprioceptive Deficits download

    • S.A.M. System for dogs with significant rear weakness and proprioceptive deficits

    • SAM System Rear Paralysis download

    • S.A.M. System for dogs with rear paralysis

    • Bladder Expression Instructions Download

    • Acupressure Introduction + 3 Points

    • Wrap Up Zoom Invite Saturday April 3

    • BONUS 1:1 QP June 3 2021

Next Session Beginning in April 2021!

Space is limited. Put your name on the waitlist now to be notified when registration is open!

Waitlist Sign Up 

April 2021

Meet your teacher

Canine Rehab Therapist& Inspired Dog Mom

Canine Rehab Therapist, Founder of Living with Dogs with Disabilities, & Inspired Dog Parent

Sarah MacKeigan

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO... HI! Thank you for being here 🙏. After an almost 5 year journey with Degenerative Myelopathy, my heart dog 🐾❤️ Sammie crossed the rainbow bridge right before the Covid lockdown in 2020. I found myself grieving and saw so many dog parents online, struggling with their dogs, especially those with neurologic conditions like Sam's. I wanted to help and needed to put my pain somewhere it could make a difference. Bringing together my personal experience and professional canine rehab knowledge, I founded Living with Dogs with Disabilities - a Facebook community dedicated to promoting mobility and canine rehab so pet parents and professionals could learn from others everything that CAN BE DONE to help these dogs. I believe that if pain is manageable and an animal isn't in immediate risk, that there is ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO, and doing nothing simply isn't an option. This is why I've invested so much into educating and connecting online. To facilitate interactions with experts in various fields of canine health, wellness, and rehab to dog parents wanting to do more for their pups. You're dog may or may not recover from an injury or disease, but that doesn't mean you are helpless and their life is over, In fact - "IT'S NOT OVER, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT" are powerful words to live by. Today I have my own practice in canine rehabilitation in Nova Scotia, Canada and impacted thousands of dog parents online with over 500k video views and 21k followers across social platforms My goal is for every dog parent that that gets a diagnosis for their dog, like DM, is then told of what they CAN DO and WHO CAN HELP THEM do it. 💞

Disclaimer

All information in this site and provided in each course is intended for educational purposes only.  It does not replace medical care of you dog.  The authors are not responsible for any injuries that may occur or guarantee  specific results made or implied on this website.  Injury to your dog is always a risk if you do not follow due diligence and seek out professional advice for your dog's injury.