Tilly’s Story

Tilly was rushed to Gainsborough Referrals after she had lost the use of her back legs the same day. Her signs were very sudden and came with no warning. Our neurologist, John Parker, met with Tilly’s family as soon as they arrived and examined Tilly straight away. He suspected that she had a slipped disc in the middle of her back that had resulted in complete paralysis of her back legs. Fortunately, Tilly could still feel her legs and her chances of recovery were good, but it was important to act fast.

Tilly underwent a CT scan the same day. This confirmed John’s suspicion and showed that the disc was not mineralised, unlike most slipped discs in dogs. This meant that further deterioration was unlikely but surgical treatment was still recommended because of the severity of Tilly’s signs. It was very late by the time Tilly’s results were in, so the operation was planned for the next day to ensure the best chance of success.

When Tilly arrived for her operation the next morning, her signs were unchanged. She was nervous but Tilly is a very positive little girl and she allowed the team to help her get better without a single word of complaint. Her operation lasted a couple of hours. John was very happy with how it went - a large volume of slipped disc had been removed and we were sure Tilly would feel much better soon.

Tilly woke up from her anaesthetic ready to go. However, she was kept in her crate for seven days to allow the surgical site to heal and minimise the risk of complications.

When she returned for her first post-operative check one week after she went home, she was already showing excellent movement in her back legs. She was not quite able to walk on her own, however, and it was still important for her to rest.

Three weeks later, she was on her feet and ready to start building up her exercise. She is now back to her normal bouncy self and enjoying life to the full! Tilly is a wonderful testament to what the best medical care and a positive attitude can achieve. Well done Tilly!