Firhouse: 
A paralysed Jack Russell Terrier is now remarkably back on all paws after intricate spinal surgery at a leading Dublin animal hospital.
The four-year-old pet, called Rusty, is well on the road to recovery thanks to the skills of European and American Specialist Ciarán Jones, Head of Surgery at Linnaeus-owned My Vet Referrals in Lucan. Ciarán said it was a challenging case and is delighted Rusty has made such positive strides forward in his rehabilitation.
He explained: “When Rusty arrived at our My Vet hospital he was acutely paralysed in his hind limbs as a result of suspected intervertebral disc disease. An emergency CT scan confirmed he had a bulging disc which was compressing his spinal cord.This had caused the sudden and acute onset of hind limb paresis and paraplegia accompanied by deep pain sensation.”
The small animal specialist discussed his findings with Rusty’s concerned owner Sarah Branagan, from Co. Carlow, and outlined the potential risks and benefits of spinal surgery and the expected outcome.
Sarah agreed to surgery in a bid to see Rusty return to normal and is delighted by the result.
However, she admitted it was a worrying time and said she was still baffled by Rusty’s rapid and dramatic decline. Sarah said: “I noticed Rusty was suddenly walking and running differently and when it became worse I visited Oaklawns vets in Carlow, who instantly referred me to My Vet in Lucan. I am still unsure what caused it as, although he is a highly active pet, there was no major incident to explain the problem. I was extremely upset when the vets told me how serious the problem was and that he needed surgery, not for me as his owner but for Rusty with him being such a dynamic dog. At the beginning, I was extremely concerned for him, it was very emotional. I just wanted to have the choice of keeping Rusty no matter what it took, even if he needed a doggy wheelchair.”
Happily, Rusty’s surgery went very well and there was no need for a wheelchair, with Ciarán adding: “We carried out emergency spinal surgery to allowing us to relieve the compression to his spinal cord.
“Surgery took about two hours and was very delicate as the operation required a lot of care and patience in order to safely remove a large amount of the bulging disc without causing permanent nerve damage to the spinal cord. The operation went well. No complications were encountered and Rusty recovered and rehabilitated in our Intensive Care Unit for four days, including sling walks where our nursing staff encouraged him back into his feet.
“We even took daily videos of his progress and when he was allowed home he was already showing signs of a marked improvement and the return of movement in his back legs. When he returned for his recent post-op examination he was doing great, walking independently and I fully expect him to go on to make a complete recovery. Thanks to the rapid assessment and referral from Oaklawns Veterinary Surgery at the outset, Rusty got the care he needed.”
A delighted Sarah said: “I could not be happier with his progress. He is not out of the woods yet but is walking on his own with little aid. I’m very grateful. Ciarán and all the staff at My Vet have been amazing, I could not have asked for better care. They took him in for surgery the same day as his first appointment and I would one million percent recommend My Vet Lucan to all pet owners.”
For more information of MyVet, which is owned by Linnaeus and has three clinics across the Dublin and Kildare area, visit https://www.myvet.ie/.
