UC Davis Veterinarians Help Paralyzed Dog Walk Again
UC DAVIS (CBS13) — From a new home to a new life for a local dog on the brink of death who was nearly paralyzed for life.
Doctors at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital were faced with the incredible challenge of helping a paralyzed dog walk again.
Leah's deer encounter nearly took her dear life. The 4-year-old border collie was kicked in the head by a stubborn buck, but at first it looked like a stubborn wound.
"She had a gash in her face and was recovering nicely but on the third day she had a very devastating deterioration in her condition," her owner Fran Cole said.
Suddenly, she stopped moving.
"I had brought her home and she was unable to move--unable to lift her head--unable to move her tail," she said.
UC Davis veterinarians discovered Leah was actually left paralyzed after her skull had been dislocated from her spine.
"Most times when this happens the animal or the person dies," said Dr. Karen Vernau.
She was one of the surgeons who helped put Leah back together.
"What we did in surgery was to drill away part of the bone and the bone fragments that were pressing on her spinal cord," she said.
Still facing an uphill climb, Cole was faced with the real possibility Leah would be paralyzed forever.
"I said to him, 'Do you think my dog will ever walk again?' and he said 'If your dog walks again, it'll be the biggest feat of my residency,' which is not a comforting statement," she said.
What is comforting is seeing Leah spending days doing water therapy and learning how to use her muscles again. Now, she can get up, move her head and stand on all fours.
She's now home with her family in Grass Valley. She's still doing water therapy and getting acupuncture, but she's doing doggie stuff, too, like chasing squirrels, digging and loving life again.