Ziggy’s Journey: Overcoming Spinal Injury with Care

Ziggy is a lovely 11-year-old Wire-haired Vizsla who presented to us in March with a sudden onset of inability to walk on his hind limbs the day prior to presentation. On neurological examination he was unable to walk but able to move his back legs (paraparetic). The findings were compatible with a problem in his mid to lower back (T3-S3 spinal cord segments). We performed an MRI scan which did not reveal any lesions compressing the spinal cord. We therefore suspected a contusive spinal cord injury such as an ischemic myelopathy (‘stroke’ in the spinal cord). Ziggy was hospitalised for 24h and treated conservatively. He was discharged and continued to make steady progress at home, regaining the ability to walk within 2 weeks of discharge. Physiotherapy was performed as part of his recovery. He is still continuing to improve daily and is very happy and comfortable at home, and enjoying the recent days of sunshine.

Ziggy is a great example of how some spinal conditions, even in senior patients, can have a very good prognosis.