[Dailydrool] degenerative mylopathy

[melissa gibson]

Need advice or information if any one has experience with degenerative 
mylopathy.
My 16 year old treeing walker coonhound,Hanna, has been getting increasingly 
worse and weak in the back legs. She stopped talking walks with basset Abe about 
5 months ago. She just didn't want to go that far and her back legs would start 
to drag every couple of steps. The vet assumed this was arthritis due to her 
advanced age. She is on tramadol twice a day for pain and within the last 2 
months started on previcox. Within the past few weeks she has been going down in 
the back quite a bit, will fall and can't right herself and seems to be very 
scared of the steps to go outside. The reason I think it may be something else 
is when I try to help her/lift her up she stick her front legs straight out and 
then her one back leg she holds up close to her body and seems to limp. If I 
help her up sometimes she just stands there with her legs close together just 
waving. She recently had bloodwork that showed high potassium and the vet 
thought could be addissons but wants to retest in two weeks to see if it is 
still high or was just a fluke.

This is where I am with the whole thing-I do not want to do any more tests, 
poking or prodding, she hates the vet and I feel like there is not much that can 
be done and I just want to keep her comfortable.  I am looking into getting her 
a sling to help lift and support her and not hurt her somehow lifting her the 
wrong way. I have had Hanna for 14 years, she has been patient while I have 
adopted and lost numerous senior basets over the last few years. Now I am 
focused solely on loving her and keeping her comfortable.
Thanks for any info in advance.

Melissa