A Tragedy

On April 3rd, 2023, our 1 ½ year old German Shepard Lexi was involved in a near-death accident. She incurred severe head trauma and a critical spinal cord injury causing paralysis from her shoulders down to her hind end. We were told that she had a very slim chance of surviving the first night, and about a 50% chance of surviving the 2nd night. And even if she did, she would more than likely have brain damage and never walk again. But Lexi had the strive to survive! This is the story of her ongoing journey on the road to recovery and to walk, run, & be a dog again.

The First 48 Hours

Lexi was admitted to Powers Pet Emergency & Specialty in Colorado Springs, CO. She was placed in an oxygen chamber and immediately treated for head trauma. A tube was inserted into one of her lungs to drain fliud. After about 48 hours the swelling in her brain had subsided, the fluid in her lung had draimed, and she no longer needed to be in the oxygen chamber. Now confident she would survive, the Doctors were finally able to assess Lexi for other injuries. Remarkably she did not have any broken bones or internal injuries. She was, however, paralyzed in her hind legs. The next step was to see a neurosurgeon, and to get a MRI. After some quick research we decided on Dr. Rachel Song, one of less than 100 veterinary neurosurgeons in the USA, at Animal Emergency & Specialty Center in Parker, CO. 

Lexi on the Move!

Dorsal Laminectomy - a surgical procedure to remove a portion of spinal vertebra bone from the dorsal, or back. A total of 4 to 6 weeks of strict rest is usually necessary following laminectomy surgery.