Sassy’s Journey: From Paralysis to Walking Again

Shared with the consent of Sassy’s owner

One morning, Sassy’s owners woke to a heartbreaking discovery — their beloved dog could suddenly no longer walk. They rushed her to the vet, where she was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), a painful spinal condition that can cause paralysis.

Faced with this frightening diagnosis, Sassy’s owners chose a conservative treatment plan rather than surgery. At the time, Sassy was completely paralysed in her hind legs — she had no movement or sensation and couldn’t withdraw her legs when stimulated. She was forced to drag herself forward using her front legs.

The injury was suspected at the T13-L1 vertebral level, where an extruded disc was pressing on the spinal cord. This caused exaggerated reflexes due to loss of normal brain control, and intense pain in that area. Sassy had quickly lost muscle in both her back and hind limbs.
Luckily for Sassy, she still had control of her bladder and bowel movements, and she could still feel superficial and deep pain.

Sassy was hospitalized for two weeks, receiving strong pain medication and close monitoring.

Veterinary physiotherapy started 48 hours after the incident. Early treatment focused on pain relief , as well as aiding in the reduction of inflammation around the spinal cord and promotion of neural healing. Simultaneously, Sassy’s hind limbs were carefully stimulated to encourage return of sensation and function. She was guided through assisted movements, retraining her neural pathways and brain of what “normal” dog movements were.

Remarkably, on the second day of therapy, Sassy was able to stand on her own! During one session, she even took her first tentative steps — just one or two wobbly movements before tiring, but it was a major breakthrough. By the third day, she greeted me standing by the door of her cage, all by herself.
She began being able to walk a few more steps each day, each with a bit more balance and stability than before.

Sassy continued to improve rapidly, gaining more strength and awareness of her legs every day. Due to her incredible progress, she was able to go home a week earlier than expected, under strict cage rest to prevent relapse. She carried on with regular veterinary physiotherapy sessions at home.

Today, Sassy is fully functional and walking again. Her family has made some lifestyle adjustments — no stairs or jumping allowed — to protect her spine from further injury. But Sassy is happy, strong, and balanced, fully aware of where her hind legs are and enjoying life to the fullest.

Her journey is a testament to resilience, hope, and the power of team work and collaboration in helping animals recover from severe spinal injuries.

Here are some words from Sassy’s owner:

“I was very fortunate to meet Jess of FlexiVet through Dr Helen Pringle at Vital Vet. My dachshund Sassy woke up one morning a few months ago paralysed in her hind legs.

Through the dedicated physiotherapy given by Jess, Sassy gradually regained full use of her hind legs (Jess does house calls which is very convenient and less stress on your pet). She has now been discharged with a full recovery.

I would recommend using Jess at FlexiVet if you animal requires any type of physiotherapy, you will be very happy with the results. I will be always be grateful for the treatment and service provided by Jess that nursed Sassy back to health.”

Watch a brief visual of Sassy’s recovery journey here.