Case Of The Month

Against the Odds, She Walked Again

Sharmili, a free-roaming feral dog, was presented with acute-onset hind limb paresis, characterized by complete non-weight-bearing on both pelvic limbs and marked neurological deficits. Clinical examination revealed a loss of voluntary motor function in the hind limbs, suggestive of a thoracolumbar spinal cord injury.

A computed tomography (CT) scan of the spine identified an impacted vertebral fracture causing significant spinal cord compression, which correlated with the patient’s neurological signs. The diagnosis was consistent with a traumatic vertebral fracture resulting in severe spinal cord injury and associated neurological impairment.

Sharmili was managed conservatively with intensive medical treatment and a structured physiotherapy regimen. Remarkably, within one week, Sharmili demonstrated substantial neurological recovery, regaining independent ambulation and normal locomotion. Today, Sharmili is pain-free, walking and running normally, and has been successfully rehabilitated and safely released back to her familiar street environment.