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In this Episode:
Series 1 Episode Guide:
Super Vets
Tommy’s owners became concerned when he didn’t return promptly as usual from his evening garden visit. They found him with very weak hind legs leaving him unable to walk up the steps from the garden to the house. As they rushed him to the vets, he lost all ability to use his hind legs.
Tommy’s vet quickly realised there was a severe problem with the nerves supplying his legs and immediately referred him to a neurologist at the Royal Veterinary College. Neurologist Annette Wessmann examined Tommy and suspected that something was pressing on Tommy’s spinal cord, most likely a piece of disc material (‘slipped disc’). If the compression was not removed within several hours the chances of recovery would decrease significantly.
A myleogram was performed to identify which disc was slipped on which side of the spinal cord. This is a series of x-rays taken after a special contrast material has been injected into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord, highlighting the areas of compression.
Tommy was anaesthetised before receiving the injection around his spine and the x-rays. They confirmed his spinal cord was compressed, and he was prepared for theatre and taken straight in for surgery.
The spinal cord is well protected, lying within a bony canal formed by the vertebrae. A window of 1-2cm in size has to be cut through the vertebrae to access the material compressing the cord. Very small amounts of bone are removed gradually so that the surgeon minimises the risk of additional damage to the spine. It is essential that the window is created at exactly the right point on the spine.
Once the window had been created a very fine curved instrument is gently passed under the spine to carefully draw out the pieces of disc material. Often the pieces are very small and have to be removed one at a time. The material is from the centre of the discs which sit between the bones of the spine. It squirts out a little like toothpaste from a tube - once out there is no chance of it going back.
Stuck in the bony canal there is nowhere for the material to go so it stays there squashing the spinal cord and causing pain, weakness and sometimes paralysis. The paralysis can often be reversed but only if surgery is under taken promptly to relieve the compression on the spinal cord.
After his surgery Tommy recovered overnight in the Intensive Care Unit. The next day he showed signs of improvement with more movement in his hind legs than immediately before surgery. He started gentle physiotherapy to improve the function of his hind legs and all seemed to be going well.
However on the third day after his surgery Tommy suddenly lost all ability in his hind legs again. Once again there is a race against time to identify the problem and repair it.
