Super Cooper back on feet after intricate spinal surgery

A dog can walk again after vets carried out intricate surgery followed by five months of therapy to get it back on its feet.

Cooper, a Staffordshire bull terrier-cross, was brought into Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull after his ability to walk had become seriously compromised.

Acute pressure

The five-year-old dog was found to have acute pressure on his spinal cord, which was being caused by a herniated disc.

And even after the surgery there was no guarantee that Cooper would ever walk again, with vets at the clinic giving him a 50% chance that he would.

‘Wobbly’

Neurologist Robert Clark said: “Cooper’s owners first became aware something was wrong when he yelped in pain one day as he lay down on the sofa.

“He also became wobbly on his legs and then suffered a drastic deterioration, which left him totally paralysed in his back legs and tail. He had no feeling at all in his hindlimbs or his tail.

“A full neurological examination and an MRI scan showed he had an intervertebral disc extrusion, which was so severe there was a less than 50% chance he’d recover.”

Physiotherapy

Cooper followed his surgery with a five-month stint in physiotherapy to regain control of his hind legs.

Veterinary physiotherapist Emma Box said: “The first challenge was that in the days immediately after surgery Cooper wouldn’t sleep without someone sitting with him, so the nursing and physio team took it in turns to be with him.

“The biggest challenge, though, was helping Cooper to learn to walk again, which required intensive rehabilitation over the next five months, including regular physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, electroacupuncture and medical management.

“Michelle and the family were incredibly dedicated, too. They were carrying out lots of exercises with him at home, including walking over obstacles and working on his balancing and, without their support, Cooper certainly wouldn’t have been able to walk again.”

‘Outstanding’

Owner Michelle Gilroy said: “We were extremely concerned. Everything seemed to point to him not recovering, but we were just trying to focus on the slim chance he had.

“We were also encouraged by the outstanding team at Willows. From the start they were very informative, and took time to explain and answer all of our questions while the medical side of it was extremely thorough and clear.”