Katara is a 2.5 year old mixed-breed dog currently under the care of volunteers from Lifelong Animal Protection (LAP), awaiting adoption. Recently, volunteers noticed a rapid deterioration in Katara’s condition, within just 72 hours, she became unable to stand or walk and even lost control of her bladder. She was immediately taken to the emergency department of the Harvest Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital (HVSEH).
Upon admission, Katara showed clear signs of spinal pain and paralysis of her hind limbs. Our Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, Dr. Stephen Martin, promptly conducted an examination, localising a T3-L3 spinal cord injury and recommended an MRI scan. The results revealed a herniated disc compressing the spinal cord, diagnosing an L1-L2 disc rupture, a severe case of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) type 1.
If left untreated, such rapidly progressing neurological symptoms could result in permanent paralysis, or myelomalacia. After detailed consultation with the LAP team, a decision was made to proceed with a hemilaminectomy, a spinal decompression surgery performed to treat intervertebral disc disease, on the same day.
