A dog who was struggling to walk is back on his feet thanks to treatment from expert vets at Veterinary Specialists Scotland.
Seven-year-old labrador retriever Glen was suddenly unable to bear weight on his left back leg but seemed to improve following a course of steroids.
However, when he relapsed a few weeks later, Glen’s local vet referred him to Veterinary Specialists Scotland (VSS) in Livingston, with suspected nerve damage.
It was there he saw veterinary neurologist Camila Diogo, who carried out an MRI scan of Glen’s back. The scan revealed a damaged disc which was pressing on Glen’s spine.
Camila said: “The scan revealed a marked spinal compression and I was surprised poor Glen was not showing more pain given the size of the protrusion.
“Our options were to start physiotherapy and continue with steroids or perform a partial discectomy to remove the protrusion and release pressure on the spinal cord.”
After discussion, Glen’s owner and Camila decided surgery would be the best long-term option and an operation was carried out to remove the damaged part of the disc.
The surgery went well and Glen was quickly back on his feet and no longer struggling to weight bear on his back leg.
Relieved owner Jade Beaton, who lives in Arbroath, said: “We had to restrict exercise for several weeks and attend physiotherapy, but Glen made a quick recovery from his surgery.
“We took him for walks with his sling for a while after the operation to allow his muscles to rebuild and so he could properly weight bear.
“Now, he’s doing great and back to the crazy, energetic boy that he was before. It’s great to see him back doing zoomies again!
“Camila was excellent. She kept us informed and explained things well, which made things so much easier.”
