Health
Is degenerative myelopathy painful?
No, and that is its defining feature. A dog loses hind limb function while remaining comfortable, bright and willing.
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Degenerative Myelopathy in Bichon Frises: The Question of Pain
Quick answer
Is degenerative myelopathy painful?
No, and that is its defining feature. A dog loses hind limb function while remaining comfortable, bright and willing.
The single most useful distinction in hind limb weakness is whether the dog is in pain, because painless progressive weakness leads down a completely different diagnostic path from painful weakness.
Owners of older Bichons noticing a back end that is not working properly, who need to know what to ask for. It also matters to anyone who has read about the condition in German shepherds and is wondering whether it applies to a small companion breed.
Important reminder
This guide is not medical advice. If your dog shows pain, sudden behavior change, or worsening symptoms, consult a licensed veterinarian.
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What this problem looks like
Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive, painless degeneration of the spinal cord that begins in the hind limbs and advances forward. Dogs first scuff their back feet, then become unsteady, then lose the ability to stand, all while remaining alert and free of pain. There is no treatment that stops it. It is a disease of specific predisposed breeds and is not documented in the Bichon Frise.
Common triggers
- Inherited susceptibility in predisposed breeds, which is the underlying basis of the disease
- Advancing age, since affected dogs typically show signs from around eight years onward
- No dietary, environmental or activity-related cause has been identified
- Nothing an owner does or fails to do initiates it, which is worth stating plainly
- Other conditions can coexist and accelerate the loss of function, which is why full assessment matters
Well recognised in German shepherds and several other breeds, where it is a leading cause of progressive hind limb weakness in older dogs. Not a documented Bichon Frise condition. Because a wobbly back end in an older small dog has many more probable and more treatable explanations, arriving at this diagnosis in a Bichon would require systematically excluding all of them first.
Why this happens
Breed factors
The disease involves degeneration of the insulating and supporting tissue of the spinal cord, and susceptibility is linked to an inherited variant that has been characterised most thoroughly in the breeds where the condition clusters. The Bichon Frise does not appear in that group. What the breed does carry, and what genuinely explains most hind limb difficulty in it, is patellar luxation: a kneecap that has been tracking abnormally for years produces joint damage, muscle loss and a hind end that looks unreliable. That is a mechanical problem with mechanical answers, not a degenerating spinal cord.
Environment factors
Nothing in a household causes degenerative myelopathy. What the environment does affect is how quickly any hind limb weakness becomes disabling. Slippery flooring turns mild unsteadiness into repeated falls and lost confidence. Stairs become dangerous earlier than they need to. Excess weight in a dog with an exercise requirement of two out of five means weaker legs are asked to carry more. And a home without ramps requires jumping, which a dog with a failing back end cannot safely do. Those factors are worth addressing regardless of the underlying diagnosis.
What you can do at home (once it is not an emergency)
When to talk to your vet
Book a proper neurological assessment for any hind limb weakness, scuffing, crossing of the back legs or unsteadiness, and take your video with you. Say explicitly whether you have found any pain response, because that single observation shapes the examination. Go to an emergency clinic immediately if weakness appears suddenly rather than gradually, if your dog cannot stand at all, if it has lost bladder or bowel control abruptly, if it is in severe pain with a rigid posture, or if the hind legs are cold and painful, which can indicate a clot. Sudden onset is the key distinction: gradual decline is a booked appointment, sudden collapse is an emergency.
At home, alongside your vet's plan
- Film your dog walking away from and toward the camera on a non-slip surface, plus a slow turn, and repeat it monthly so progression or stability is visible rather than debated.
- Test gently for pain before the appointment: run flat fingers along either side of the spine and over the hips, and note any tensing, lip licking or turning toward your hand.
- Check the tops of the hind toenails for wear during grooming, which is objective evidence of scuffing.
- Put non-slip runners along your dog's main routes and block stairs, since falls cost confidence quickly in an unsteady dog.
- Keep weight lean and keep gentle daily movement going, because muscle lost to inactivity is very hard to regain in an older dog.
More Bichon Frise health & behavior issues
- Bichon Frise and ARVC: Does This Heart Disease Apply?
- Bichon Frise Bloat (GDV): Myths, Feeding and What to Watch
- Bichon Frise Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM): The Silent Phase
- Bichon Frise GDV Risk: Feeding Habits That Actually Matter
- Bichon Frise Pancreatitis: The Fat Trigger and the Warning Signs
- IVDD in Bichon Frises: Risk, Signs and Back Protection
- IVDD Type I in Bichon Frises: The Emergency Explained
- Pancreatitis and Diabetes in Senior Bichon Frises
- Bichon Frise Allergic Reactions: Signs, Triggers, Action
- Bichon Frise Allergies: Itching, Ears and Real Management
- Bichon Frise and BOAS: Does the Breed Have Airway Syndrome?
- Bichon Frise Breathing Noise: BOAS, Reverse Sneezing or What?
- Bichon Frise Separation Anxiety: Why This Breed Struggles
- Bichon Frise Skin Allergies: The Breed's Top Health Issue
- Bichon Frise Skin Infections: Where They Actually Form
Degenerative Myelopathy DM in other breeds
- Jack Russell Terrier Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs
- Labradoodle Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs & What to Do
- Maltese Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Miniature Schnauzer Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs
- Poodle Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Rottweiler Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs & What to Do
- Schnauzer Standard Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs
- Yorkshire Terrier Degenerative Myelopathy: Signs
- Akita Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): Signs, Testing & Outlook
- Australian Shepherd Degenerative Myelopathy: Early Signs
See all Bichon Frise health problems, which breeds are prone to degenerative myelopathy dm, or the full Bichon Frise breed guide for temperament, exercise needs and ownership costs.
What to expect, and how you know it is working
For a Bichon owner, the realistic timeline is a neurological examination that identifies something else entirely, followed by treatment of that condition. Where the diagnosis is genuinely made in a predisposed dog, progression from first scuffing to inability to stand typically runs over six months to three years, varying widely. Physiotherapy can extend the mobile period. Nothing reverses it, and owners are better served by planning for that than by hoping otherwise.
For most readers of this page, success means a wobbly hind end correctly identified as a painful and treatable joint problem, with pain relief, physiotherapy and weight loss restoring a dog that had been quietly declining. Where a progressive condition is confirmed, success is measured differently: maintained muscle, protected feet, a home adapted for safety, dignity preserved, and honest decisions made with a vet before a crisis forces them.
Painless or Painful: The Fork in the Road
Almost every useful thing a vet does with a wobbly hind end starts here. Owners can contribute a great deal by observing carefully before the appointment.
Pros
- ✓ Painless weakness: the dog does not flinch when the back and hips are handled, does not yelp, and does not resist being lifted.
- ✓ Painless weakness: it progresses steadily over months, without good days and bad days, and never suddenly worsens overnight.
- ✓ Painless weakness: the dog remains willing to move, wags, eats and greets normally, and simply cannot make the legs work.
- ✓ Painless weakness points toward degeneration of the nervous tissue itself, of which degenerative myelopathy is the classic example.
Cons
- ! Painful weakness: the dog tenses, turns its head toward your hand, licks its lips or cries when the spine or hips are touched.
- ! Painful weakness: it often fluctuates, with a bad day after a long walk and improvement after rest, or it appears abruptly.
- ! Painful weakness: the dog becomes reluctant to move at all, adopts a hunched posture, and may be quieter and withdrawn.
- ! Painful weakness points toward discs, joints, kneecaps or arthritis, which is where the great majority of Bichon Frise hind limb problems actually sit.
Which Dogs Get It, and What That Means for a Bichon
Degenerative myelopathy is strongly breed-associated. German shepherds are the classic example, and it is also well recognised in corgis, boxers and several other breeds. A genetic variant associated with susceptibility has been identified, and testing exists.
The Bichon Frise is not part of that picture. Its documented health issues are skin allergies, patellar luxation, bladder stones, cataracts and dental disease, and no spinal cord degeneration appears among them.
The practical consequence is that a Bichon with a failing hind end is far more likely to have something treatable. Arthritis in the hips and stifles, a long-standing luxating kneecap, a cruciate ligament that has given way, or in older dogs a slowly compressing disc are all much more probable, and several of them respond well to treatment.
That is worth saying plainly, because owners who find this diagnosis online sometimes conclude that nothing can be done and delay the appointment that would have identified a painful, manageable problem.
It is also worth noting that even in the predisposed breeds, degenerative myelopathy is a diagnosis of exclusion. Everything else is ruled out first, precisely because everything else is more treatable.
The Flinch That Changed the Diagnosis
Sable was ten and her back end had been getting less reliable for four months. Her owner, Ken, had found a page about degenerative myelopathy and arrived at the clinic convinced there was nothing to be done. The vet asked him one question before touching the dog: had he ever seen her react to being handled along the spine or hips. Ken said no, then paused and said actually she did sometimes turn her head sharply when he towelled her after a walk. That detail mattered. The examination found clearly painful hips, a left kneecap that luxated readily, and thickened stifle joints. Her reflexes and foot placement were normal. This was joint disease, not spinal cord degeneration. Sable was started on pain relief, put on a controlled diet that took three pounds off her over four months, and enrolled in hydrotherapy. Ken's note at the recheck was that she had started running up the garden again, which she had not done since spring.
Key takeaway: Ask whether it hurts before asking what it is, because a painless progressive disease and a painful treatable one look nearly identical from across a room.
Frequently asked questions
Do Bichon Frises get degenerative myelopathy?
It is not documented in the breed. The condition is concentrated in German shepherds, corgis, boxers and a number of other breeds where the associated genetic variant has been studied. A Bichon with hind limb weakness should be assessed for the far more likely causes, most of which are painful and many of which are treatable.
How would a vet distinguish it from arthritis?
By neurological examination first. Testing reflexes, checking whether the dog knows where its feet are placed, and assessing whether pain can be elicited over the spine and joints separates nerve disease from joint disease. Imaging then rules out compressive causes. The pattern of findings, not a single test, gives the answer.
Is there a genetic test?
A test exists for a variant associated with susceptibility, but a result is not a diagnosis. Dogs carrying two copies do not all develop the disease, and the test is most meaningful in the breeds where it has been studied. In a Bichon Frise it would rarely be an appropriate first investigation.
Can degenerative myelopathy be treated?
There is no treatment that halts it. Management focuses on maintaining mobility for as long as possible with physiotherapy and controlled exercise, protecting the feet from scuffing injuries, using harnesses and carts for support, and monitoring for the bladder and bowel problems that arise later. Honest information about progression matters more than optimism here.
What should I record before the appointment?
Film your dog walking away from and toward the camera on a non-slip surface. Note whether the weakness is steady or fluctuating, whether any pain response appears when you touch along the spine and hips, and whether the tops of the hind toenails are worn. Those three observations shape the examination considerably.
How do I know when it is time to make a decision?
For any progressive condition, the honest measures are mobility, continence, comfort and engagement with life. Keeping a weekly note of what your dog can still do makes the trend visible and takes the decision out of a single bad afternoon. Your vet will discuss it openly if you ask them to.
Quick answers
View more answersHealth
Is it a Bichon Frise problem?
No. It is concentrated in German shepherds, corgis and boxers, and is not on this breed's documented health list.
Health
What is the most likely cause of a Bichon's wobbly back end?
Joint disease, usually arthritis, kneecap instability or a cruciate injury. Most of these are painful, and most are treatable.
Living
What should I film for the vet?
Your dog walking away from and toward the camera on a non-slip floor, plus a slow turn. Thirty seconds is enough.
Costs
Is a genetic test worth buying?
Rarely for this breed. A susceptibility result is not a diagnosis and the money is better spent on a neurological examination.
Related DogBreedCompass guides
- Bichon Frise back and spine issues – Compressive disc disease is the other progressive spinal cause worth distinguishing.
- Bichon Frise arthritis – Joint disease is the most likely explanation for a Bichon's hind limb decline.
- Bichon Frise patellar luxation – Kneecap instability produces hind limb signs frequently mistaken for neurological ones.
- Bichon Frise cost of ownership – Mobility aids, physiotherapy and imaging are real costs to plan for.
- Bichon Frise breed guide – The breed profile lists the health issues documented for Bichon Frises.
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