Riley woke this morning perky, lively and ready to chase his nasty squeaky bone. He stumbles more and more each day, but he's still able to walk (kind of) and once warmed up, can get around a bit. His spirit still is joyous, but his body is succumbing to the effects of Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) - very similar to MS in humans.
Our vet sent out a sample of his blood to the Animal Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine where they are conducting ongoing research into DM. His results just came back... he is indeed suffering from this affliction, for which there is no cure.
We're thankful and blessed to have Riley and I'm so grateful for these 11 years of health. While the upcoming days and years will be a bit more challenging, we will still do whatever it takes to keep him happy and joyous. Just as he does for us.
Happy Birthday to Riley! And of course, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year too to you Kathy and Dom. Warmest greetings from Hong Kong with all my best wishes to Riley. He is a brave boy! Kris :P
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