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Q Our six-year-old Boxer, Bella, has had difficulty walking the last couple of months, and our vet has just diagnosed her with degenerative myelopathy and wants to start her on a course of steroids. Are there any alternative treatments that can help Bella?
S.W., via email
A Degenerative myelopathy, also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM), is a slowly progressive condition affecting the spinal cord in dogs, thought to be caused by a genetic mutation. It’s painless, but it causes gradual paralysis of the hind legs. It’s similar to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease) in humans.
Dogs over the age of eight are most commonly affected, as well as certain breeds such as German Shepherds, Boxers, Rhodesian
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