For Emergencies:
Ludo presented to Emma as an emergency around three months ago after suddenly becoming shaky and ataxic (wobbly) on his hind limbs. His condition deteriorated rapidly and, by the time he arrived at Bridge Referrals, he was unable to walk on his back legs and was dragging them behind him.
Advanced imaging revealed a very large compressive disc extrusion at the L2-L3 level of his lumbar spine. The extrusion was extensive and spread across two disc spaces, causing significant compression of the spinal cord.
To relieve this pressure, Emma performed a hemilaminectomy, a surgical procedure that involves creating a window in the vertebrae to access the spinal canal and remove the extruded disc material. By the end of surgery, the spinal cord was visibly decompressed. The affected disc was also fenestrated, meaning the disc space was opened and the remaining disc material removed to reduce the risk of further extrusion in the future.
The following day, Ludo had already regained some voluntary movement in his hind limbs, which was an encouraging early sign. He was discharged home with pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication to support his recovery.
Just one week later, Ludo returned for a re-examination and was able to walk unassisted, although he still had marked ataxia. This represented a remarkable improvement in such a short period of time and gave everyone involved great optimism for his recovery.
With the dedication and commitment of his owner, alongside ongoing rehabilitation with our physiotherapist Rebecca, Ludo continued to make excellent progress. We are delighted to say that he has now made a full recovery and is back to enjoying sunny days, long walks, and all the things he loves most.
Ludo enjoying his recovery at home!
Ludo, we are so pleased for you and incredibly proud of how far you have come. We will miss seeing you for your appointments and physiotherapy sessions, but we couldn’t be happier to see you back living life to the fullest! ❤️
