MEET THE AMAZING TEAM BEHIND SULLI'S JOURNEY
Sulli is a charming 8-year-old Basset Hound who ruptured a disc in his back 1 1/2 years ago. He was extremely weak in the rear legs prior to surgery, but within 30 days he was back to his old self. His first surgery cost $7000. In January of 2023, he developed another ruptured disc, but this time, he was completely paralyzed in the rear legs. It was a terrible tragedy. How could this happen twice? A dog that is paralyzed, but still has deep pain sensation in his rear legs, has a chance for recovery. Sulli had deep pain! He had an MRI that confirmed that surgery could be successful, however at this point, financially, a second surgery was out of the question. No surgery meant euthanasia.
If you have ever met Sulli, he is all enthusiasm and spunk, he has such a great attitude,
Lucky Paw could not give up on him. We paid the remaining $5000 to get his surgery done!
Three weeks after surgery, he could stand on his own and take a few steps. His owners support him with a sling where he throws his tennis ball up in the air and hops towards it with assistance. He is happy no matter what his circumstances are.
Unfortunately, at 6 weeks post-surgery, Sulli was still not able to walk consistently on his own. He could stand and take a few steps, but then he would fall. He was not recovering like the last time. It was clear that he needed some professional physical therapy, and soon ! The sooner a neurological patient can get help to re-learn muscle memory and coordination, the better. If they go too long without help, oftentimes, they can’t improve. We wanted to help Sulli re-gain as much function as was absolutely possible.
So, Lucky Paw worked with his parent’s to ensure that they were up for the challenge. Physical therapy meant driving to Elk Rapids weekly to make the appointment with the Veterinary Canine Rehabilitation team. It also meant making a strong commitment to a full list of daily home exercises to compliment the weekly visits. As was expected, his family was all in!
PHYSICAL THERAPY AND BEYOND
Lucky Paw paid for 6-8 weeks of therapy (approximately $1500) and his family and his veterinary Physical Therapist team did the rest. Sulli and his family worked incredibly hard, and week after week, he made slow steady progress. As you can see from the video, after 6 weeks, Sulli finally has his ability to walk again. Nothing could have made us happier! He is an amazing dog with a strong will and a great supportive family. The perfect combination for success. We could not be more proud of Team Sulli.
Special thanks to Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman DVM, CCRT (Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist) at the Elk Rapids Animal Hospital who made so much magic happen and the great Veterinary Neurologists at Dogwood Referral Center who performed both of his successful back surgeries.