Bubba's Buddies

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Bubba's Buddies

Bubba's Buddies, a Non Profit Organization with the mission to cure Degenerative Myelopathy in dogs

01/14/2026

Sharing a major milestone for Bubba’s Buddies that was made possible entirely because of our supporters!

Through donor-designated funding with the AKC Canine Health Foundation, pre-proposals are now open to fund NEW research on canine degenerative myelopathy!

This is where your donations go: real research, real progress, real hope for dogs affected by DM. Thank you for helping us move the needle forward. 🐾💙

11/02/2025

It’s been 3 years since we last got to be with our best friend. You were a pup that was larger than life, filled with kindness, quirkiness, and happiness. Bubba we miss you terribly, but you have inspired a movement to find a cure. Your legacy will live on as we continue to work to find a cure for DM. We love and miss you Buddy!

08/21/2025

DM Community! Next week AKC Canine Health Foundation is hosting a webinar that will dive into groundbreaking research on canine degenerative myelopathy (DM). You'll learn how the research is uncovering early effects on proprioception, testing new treatments like riluzole, and advancing clinical trials through the collaborative Project DM platform—all with the goal of improving quality of life and longevity for affected dogs.

Register and learn more about this work funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and Bubbas Buddies: https://akc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P9uPGla2SASq_K3fd6ec4Q?fbclid=IwY2xjawMTSvRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFvV3gxRjF4V0VFOURXNFpwAR7r33jlcguXsuB3OM87lCS8YL6Xh_aPjg3stYBbTii_RkfN9K4w-t0671Fc1w_aem_M1fHnbiLQAo6syXUAnc0Zg #/registration

07/14/2025

Calling All DM-Dog Parents! The North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine is surveying owners of dogs diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy (DM) to better understand the support needs and caregiver experiences during their pet’s diagnosis and management. Responses are anonymous and will help veterinarians better understand how to support owners through this journey.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Take the survey here: https://ncsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aXLpOECPAEDn9Wu

We are so grateful for your time—your insight will help improve care for both dogs and the people who love them. If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact Dr. Natalia Amaral, one of the researchers leading this project at [email protected].

07/13/2025

We know we’ve been a bit quiet lately.....

Bubba’s Buddies has been intentionally low-key as we’ve waited for the Riluzole as a Neuroprotectant study for Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) to run its course. This research, funded by Bubba's Buddies and the AKC Canine Health Foundation, is a critical step to understanding and treating DM. The universities involved had a slow start to recruitment, but the trial IS underway, and that’s a huge win for the DM community.

We’ve held off on major fundraising efforts during this time because we believe in being thoughtful and strategic. While we wait for the results, we’re working behind the scenes to fund the next phase of DM research. Stay tuned in the coming months, because we’ll have updates and opportunities to support the future of DM treatment.

Thank you for standing with us and for being part of a community that believes in a better tomorrow for dogs with DM. 💙

11/09/2024

This chair was given to us by Java's Legacy Blankets of Love (ALL Pets Welcomed) to bring comfort to Bubba while eating when he was unable to stand. We kept it to pass down to our future child, and today she sat in it for the first time and we all said hi to Bubba 💙.

11/03/2024

2 years ago today you were taken from us Bubs. We made a promise to work til a cure exists for this terrible disease that stole you from us, and we will keep working until that happens. We love you buddy and still think about you every single day!

10/01/2024

DM Study Update! Three out of the four participating universities are still looking for dogs to participate in the DM study funded by Bubba's Buddies and AKC Canine Health Foundation. Tufts University, Ohio State University, and North Carolina State University have enrollment spots available. Please note: Patients need to be within driving distance to the trial sites and be reevaluated by the trial site at specified times.

About the Study: A collaborative network of canine DM researchers (Project DM) designed and implemented a longitudinal DM patient registry to enhance data collection and observational studies, and built a platform trial design which can serve as perpetual infrastructure through which to evaluate novel therapies and biomarkers. They hypothesize that riluzole, at an optimized dose, will delay disease progression, as evidenced by alteration of both disease-associated biomarkers and clinical outcome measures, therefore improving overall longevity and quality of life in dogs with DM. They will test this hypothesis through the following aims: 1) evaluate oral riluzole safety and establish a candidate dose; 2) conduct a clinical trial for therapeutic efficacy; and 3) demonstrate that neurofilament light concentrations in CSF and plasma are a valuable biomarker.

Twenty healthy dogs affected with DM will be enrolled once required inclusion criteria are met. Dogs will be excluded if there is a co-morbidity with a poor prognosis or if co-morbidity (e.g., orthopedic disease) affects the neurologic examination apart from signs of DM.

Enrollment Contact Information:
Joan R. Coates (Co-PIs: Sarah Moore, Dominik Faissler, Natasha Olby)
Email: [email protected]

04/15/2024

We need your help to study the treatment of degenerative myelopathy!

The Canine Health Foundation-funded investigators (which includes funding from Bubba's Buddies!) at the University of Missouri, Tufts University, Ohio State University, and North Carolina State University are recruiting dogs affected by degenerative myelopathy (DM) but otherwise healthy for a clinical trial evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of oral riluzole treatment. Riluzole is a glutamate antagonist approved for the treatment of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease with characteristics similar to canine DM.

To participate, dogs must:

- be within driving distance of one of the four trial sites and be reevaluated by the trial site at specified times,

- be homozygous for SOD1:c. 118G>A,

- have early disease signs (general proprioceptive ataxia, mild ambulatory paraparesis, gait score < 3),

- have a normal health screen (CBC, chemistry profile, urinalysis, thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound), and

- have other neurologic diagnoses ruled out based off findings of the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord MRI, CSF analysis and electromyography.

For more details about this important study, including contact information for the Principal Investigator use the link in the comments!

Please share this information with fellow dog owners and veterinary teams to help improve the treatment of canine degenerative myelopathy. Working together, we can help all dogs live longer, healthier lives!

01/06/2024

We find ourselves missing our Bubba (and his sister Teddie) quite often. While it never gets easier, we find ourselves using that as fuel to help push along our cause! Hug your pups tight 💙

12/15/2023

Another milestone reached! We have officially received over $100,000 in donations since our launch just two years ago. Your donations have made the very first DM clinical trial possible and we are already prepared to fund another DM research effort! Thank you to EVERYONE who has donated, shared, and contributed to finding a cure for degenerative myelopathy!!!

Address

Bradenton, FL

Telephone

+15636763020

Website

http://www.bubbasbuddies.org/

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