Vets in California help paralyzed dog walk again
DAVIS, Calif -- A dog named Leah on the brink of being paralyzed for life was able to walk again thanks to a team of veterinarians at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital in California, CBS Sacramento reported.
The 4-year-old border collie named Leah was kicked in the head by a deer. But at first, her injuries did not seem to be too serious.
"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.
Then, suddenly, Leah stopped moving.
"I had brought her home and she was unable to move -- unable to lift her head -- unable to move her tail," Cole said.
UC Davis veterinarians discovered Leah was actually paralyzed. 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 that Leah would be paralyzed forever.
"I said to him (doctor), '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," Cole said.
But Leah did indeed walk again.
Leah spent her days after surgery doing water therapy and learning how to use her muscles again.
She's now home with her family in Grass Valley. And she is not only walking, but running.
She's still doing water therapy and getting acupuncture, but she's doing doggie stuff, too, like chasing squirrels, digging and loving life again.