Success Stories

Celine, a 2-year-old French Bulldog, has faced numerous health challenges, including spinal surgery. In this video, we follow her IVDD journey from diagnosis to recovery, showcasing the love that has helped her bounce back. From neck and back pain to spinal surgery and crate rest, watch how Celine's resilience and her family's dedication have led her from a crippling disc herniation to a pain-free, joyful life.

Meet Scar, a brave, 2-year-old Husky mix dog that faced multiple life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car, including a broken back. Scar’s road to recovery seemed impossible, but thanks to advanced imaging, a skilled surgical team, loving pet parents, and unwavering spirit, she made an incredible comeback after spinal stabilization surgery. Watch her inspiring journey from trauma to triumph as she walks, runs, and thrives once again. This dog's story is a testament to the power of specialized veterinary care.

Snowflake, a 4-year-old French Bulldog, presented to SEVN for difficulty walking in her pelvic limbs. MRI revealed a disc extrusion causing spinal cord compression, and she was immediately taken into decompressive surgery via hemilaminectomy. This is her IVDD journey.

Koda, a 4-week-old Goldendoodle, came into SEVN for neurological symptoms including balance problems, a head tilt, and abnormal position of the eyes. MRI and CSF analysis revealed a surprising diagnosis: bacterial meningitis. This is one dog's journey to full recovery.

Vito, a 6-year-old Poodle mix, experienced a sudden onset of pain that eventually rendered him unable to walk. His parents acted promptly, taking him to Southeast Veterinary Neurology for evaluation, where MRI uncovered a slipped disc in his lower back. Under the expert care of the compassionate team at Southeast Veterinary Neurology, Vito successfully regained the ability to walk. This video sheds light on the importance of recognizing early signs of IVDD in dogs and the crucial role specialized veterinary care plays in their well-being.

Chelsea is a 3-year-old Brussels Griffon who presented to SEVN with neurological symptoms including a head tilt, episodic shaking, and phantom scratching. MRI and cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia. Chiari-like malformation (CM) is an inherited condition in which an abnormal growth of bone in the back of the skull compresses the brain and disrupts the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. This can result in fluid-filled cysts forming within the spinal cord, a secondary condition known as syringomyelia (SM). Unfortunately, as the cysts expand over time, they ultimately damage the center of the spinal cord. Dr. DePompa surgically removed the malformed bone to relieve pressure and allow cerebrospinal fluid to flow out of the brain. Chelsea has improved tremendously after treatment and is back to enjoying life.

Jake, a 9-year-old Corgi, presented to SEVN Virginia Beach for evaluation of intermittent back pain and pelvic limb weakness. Jake's examination suggested a problem affecting his mid-back spinal cord. MRI revealed a slipped disc, and we proceeded with surgery to alleviate the pressure on his spinal cord. Jake has improved tremendously since IVDD surgery and is back to enjoying belly rubs and long walks with his family.

Gizmo, a 4-month-old Husky, became paralyzed over the course of a couple of weeks.

Diagnosed with a nephroblastoma, a rare juvenile spinal cord tumor, his family was originally given no hope. But after finding a SEVN article online about a patient with the same condition that was able to walk again, Gizmo’s family visited SEVN Jupiter for a second opinion. Dr. Senneca surgically removed the tumor, and Gizmo is back to himself!

Miss Tibby, a 15-year-old Chihuahua, presented to SEVN of Boynton Beach for recurring seizure episodes. An MRI was performed and she was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. Dr. Reese has been managing her seizures with medications and she has been seizure free for five months.

April was adopted as a sweet and playful young beagle. When her family noticed behavior changes and signs of neck pain, they were referred to Southeast Veterinary Neurology (SEVN), where MRI and spinal fluid analysis revealed inflammation of the blood vessels in the meninges. April was diagnosed with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA). This is her journey to recovery.

Rocky is a happy, healthy golden retriever that became paralyzed from one day to the next. After receiving grim news at the emergency hospital, Rocky was thankfully referred to SEVN, where MRI revealed the true and treatable cause of his paralysis, a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE). Rocky is back to his happy self!

Bernie is a little terrier puppy that was rescued from the county shelter with a dramatic case of hydrocephalus. Luckily, the rescue brought him to SEVN where he was diagnosed and treated by our compassionate team of experts. After a long journey that included surgery, Bernie pulled through and was adopted into his forever family. If you love happy-ever-afters, this is the success story for you.

Snowflake is an active dog who started having trouble going up stairs and, within a few days, was dragging his back legs. After not improving with medical treatment from an emergency hospital, he was referred to SEVN, where his neurological exam and MRI revealed a severely slipped disc. Although he only had a 50% chance of ever walking again, he is walking after surgery with SEVN!

After an overnight stay at an emergency hospital, Jeter presented to SEVN for inability to walk following a scuffle with another dog, where MRI revealed an acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE). Jeter learned to walk again with the help of physical rehabilitation from our team of experts!

Nala is a playful Siamese cat that started vocalizing more, acting painful, and hanging her tail limp. After treatment for a suspected urinary tract infection by her vet, her walking deteriorated, and she was referred to SEVN, where MRI revealed a herniated disc. This was actually great news because a tumor was thought to be the most likely cause prior to MRI, since herniated discs are uncommon in cats. Nala is doing fantastic after surgery!

Buster, the dachshund, started showing symptoms of IVDD, but seemed to improve after a visit to his primary care veterinarian. Unfortunately, symptoms returned, and he lost the ability to walk. Fortunately, he presented to SEVN in time for surgery to restore his ability to walk, and he is as happy as ever!

Yogi Bear is an 8-year-old Pomeranian who presented to us for evaluation of inability to walk and mentation changes. Yogi Bear’s MRI showed a brain tumor whose appearance was consistent with a Meningioma, the most common type of brain tumor that arises from the cells lining the brain. His owners opted to proceed with surgery to remove the brain tumor. After 5 weeks of physical therapy and medications, Yogi Bear is comfortable and running around on his own!

Chiki, a 7-year-old Chihuahua, was normal one day and lost the ability to walk the next. Possible causes for this included a slipped disc (IVDD), meningitis, a tumor, and others, but MRI revealed a slipped disc. Surgery was performed under the same anesthetic period, and Chiki made a fantastic recovery!

Meet Comet, she is a 9-year-old poodle mix who presented for a recent onset of behavior changes: circling, lethargy, and getting stuck in corners. On neurological examination, she was responsive but somewhat distant and confused. She had a tendency to walk in circles towards the left. Her cranial nerve examination was normal, as were her patellar and withdrawal reflexes. Postural reactions were slightly delayed in the right thoracic and right pelvic limb. She did not seem painful. Watch her journey to find out what her MRI revealed and what TeamSEVN did to help Comet and her family.

Sasha is a 4-year-old Dachshund, that presented to us on an emergency basis for evaluation of acute inability to walk. On examination, Sasha was not able to move or feel her back legs. An MRI was performed which revealed a slipped disc at T12-13 and she underwent surgery to remove the disc material. After a course of rest and physical therapy, Sasha is walking again!

Jake, a lab pit mix presented to Southeast Veterinary Neurology for neck pain and inability to walk on all four legs. An MRI showed a slipped disc and Dr. Wong performed surgery, which helped Jake return to normal function. Five years later, he is still making memories as the family’s best friend.

Bane is a 2-year-old French Bulldog, that presented to us on an emergency basis for evaluation of acute inability to walk. On examination, Bane was not able to move or feel his back legs. An MRI was performed which revealed a slipped disc at L3-L4 and he underwent surgery to remove the disc material. After a course of rest and physical therapy, Bane is walking again!

Benji is an 8-month-old Beagle that presented for difficulty walking and neck pain. Benji was diagnosed with neutrophilic inflammation (meningitis) and was started on prednisone. He visited us again for his recheck and as you can see, he was walking again and wagging his tail around the hospital!

Jilly Bean is a 4-year-old poodle mix who presented for evaluation of recurrent neck pain and difficulty walking. Based on her symptoms, Dr. Wong was concerned about a slipped disc, meningitis or atlantoaxial(AA) instability, even though she was on the older side for AA.

Her MRI revealed atlantoaxial (AA) instability as the cause of her symptoms. Her parents elected to proceed with surgery and Dr. Wong performed a ventral stabilization procedure. Jilly Bean has since recovered from surgery and is now walking comfortably and happy!

Atlantoaxial instability occurs due to a malformation in the first two bones of the neck. This malformation leads to instability between these bones which can cause compression of the spinal cord of the neck. This compression causes symptoms of neck pain, weakness in all four limbs, incoordination in all four limbs, or inability to walk in all four limbs.

Atlantoaxial instability can be suspected based on age, breed, symptoms and examination, but tests are needed to confirm a diagnosis. Radiographs (X-rays) can show the instability and misalignment of the bones of the neck, but an MRI is usually required to fully show the extent of the damage, to rule out other causes of neck pain and wobbliness/weakness in dogs.

There are two main ways to treat atlantoaxial instability in dogs. The preferred treatment is surgery to realign the bones, then reduce the instability by stabilizing the bones. The other treatment option involves placing a neck bandage and strict rest for 4-6 months. The downside of this approach is that it does not address the underlying problem, and most dogs will have a recurrence or worsening of symptoms in the future.

The prognosis for atlantoaxial instability is good for dogs that are treated with surgery. Complications of difficulty breathing, worsening of symptoms, bleeding, infection or breaking of the implants are possible.

Nalu is a nine-year-old Siberian Husky. One weekend, he was let out into the back yard, he ran, yelped and was then found dragging his pelvic limbs. Nalu was unable to stand and walk on his own, showed hindlimb weakness (worse on the left) and lack of awareness of where his back legs were located in space. His MRI revealed a stroke to the spinal cord (fibrocartilagenous embolism, or FCE) in his mid-back (at T12-13). The classic presentation of a dog with an FCE is a dog that was being active and had an acute onset of asymmetrical (primarily one-sided) spinal cord dysfunction. Signs are typically non-painful and do not worsen. Nalu is back home and his owners have been advised to treat him with rest, nursing care, physical therapy and time.

Penny, a 2-year-old female spayed Maltese, presented to Southeast Veterinary Neurology for episodes of trembling and discomfort in 2015. An MRI was performed and she was diagnosed with a form of inflammatory brain disease called meningoencephalitis. Penny receives monthly cytosar infusions to manage the disease and is now more active, more lively and has more energy.

Dolce took a fall down the stairs just nine days before being brought to us for treatment. The 3-year-old Chihuahua became weak in her back limbs a few days later, and her back was unusually arched. After being taken to the local after-hours emergency hospital for vomiting and rolling repeatedly onto her right side, she was referred to us for evaluation. After a thorough physical and neurological exam, we determined that Dolce had vestibular disease. An MRI showed us that brain inflammation, or encephalitis, was the cause.

After 3-year-old Maltese mix Charlie had four seizures in one day, the local emergency hospital he was taken to recommended he visit Southeast Veterinary Neurology. He did not respond to touch or visual stimuli from his right side, and tended to turn his head toward the left. An MRI revealed inflammation in his brain or encephalitis. Treatment involved medication for immune suppression and Charlie made a full recovery.

Max, a 10-year-old male Boxer, was off balance and uncoordinated with a head tilt to the left. Max’s owner, a veterinarian, conducted tests and prescribed antibiotics for a possible ear infection. When symptoms did not improve, Max was presented to Southeast Veterinary Neurology and an MRI showed a brain tumor, which we surgically removed. Within days of surgery, Max was catching treats and acting like himself again.