Treatments Help Dogs With ALS-Like Disease

There is no cure for this disease, but new laser therapies can give your dog a better life while they are sick.

Dogs with DM will eventually die of the disease. The only positive aspect of the condition is that it does not cause pain. OlgaOvcharenko/Shutterstock

Q: Gretchen, our 9-year-old German shepherd, recently developed hind leg weakness. Her veterinarian recommends testing for degenerative myelopathy.

Many years ago, another of our shepherds had degenerative myelopathy. His condition deteriorated quickly, because there was no treatment for the disease.