Wilf’s wonderful recovery
Lovely little Wilf was referred to us in an emergency as he suddenly couldn’t walk, and he wasn’t responding to rest and pain relief. He went straight into our Neurology and Neurosurgery team, who examined him and found he had a low head carriage, a stiff neck and a stiff gait in all four of his limbs, as well as muscle spasms in his neck which was uncomfortable when his neck was moved to the side.
These findings suggested cervical hyperesthesia in his neck, which is a slipped disc so Wilf was admitted into hospital for an MRI scan to investigate this and other possible causes of his pain.
The MRI confirmed the presence of a slipped disc between his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae (C4-C5) and this was compressing his spinal cord.
As Wilf was showing severely intermittent episodes of pain that were not responding to medical management, surgery was recommended to give him the best chance of a rapid recovery.
A surgical procedure called a ‘ventral slot’ was performed to remove the extruded disc material and decompress the spinal cord.
Wilf was discharged from hospital only two days later and he had already improved; he was walking normally and appeared comfortable. He came back to us for a check-up three weeks later and was back to his normal happy self!
Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a common disorder in dogs, particularly in certain breeds such as Dachshunds and French Bulldogs. A rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment is important to increase their chances of a good outcome. We are so pleased to see Wilf so happy back to his normal self!
