Successful neurosurgery restores mobility to dog facing paralysis

Kailana and her siblings when they were younger, would play and roughhouse with each other, like puppies do. When Kailana was 6 weeks old, one of her littermates pulled her down when she was trying to climb out of their enclosure, and she could not move over around 30 seconds. Her owners assumed it was ‘just a stinger, and it appeared to clear up quickly. However, as she continued to grow over the following weeks, John Hartmire and spouse Christine Pobanz-Stelter, Kailana’s owners, noticed she develop abnormalities in her gait.

“We started noticing her back leg splaying outward, and she would drift as she was running,” said Pobanz-Stelter, in an organizational release.¹

They brought her to her veterinarian where an X-ray was performed and showed a malformation in her spine. Kailana then had a follow-up with a neurologist, who could not confirm if her condition was from the fall or congenital. He did state that he does not feel it was a hereditary abnormality because none of her littermates experienced any such complications. She was then referred the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis and was examined by its Neurosurgery Specialty Service.

During her examination at the hospital, Kailana was able to walk independently, but presented with a uncoordinated hind end gait and reduced awareness of where her hind limbs were position in relation to her body.¹ The team then brought in the Anesthesia and Diagnostic services to perform a CT, which showed multiple vertebral anomalies from her 4th thoracic vertebrae (T4) to her 9th thoracic vertebrae (T9) (most severe from T5 to T8). This caused marked spinal curvature and spinal cord compression at ^t to T7, and in narrowing of the spinal canal. After learning all of this information, the neurologists now believe her condition is more likely congenital rather than traumatic.¹

“Given the progressive nature of Kailana’s condition, she would likely lose the ability to walk within a few months,” said Ji-Hey Lim, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology).

“However, surgical intervention could prevent further neurologic decline and provide long-term improvement in her mobility.”

Believing they could help Kailana walk again, Lim, Adrien Dupanloup, and Vishal Murthy teamed up to perform her surgery.

When Kailana turned 6 months old, Lim proceeded with the surgery. The surgery was a 7-hour operation that involved a corpectomy at the site of the most severe spinal cord compression, which was then followed by stabilization of the spin using pedicle screws and rod. According to the organizational release, corpectomy for congenital vertebral malformations is an especially demanding procedure. The spinal cord is extremely thin at the stenotic site and the bone requiring removal is very close to the this fragile tissue. One small error could cause severe spinal cord damage and paralysis.

Kailana’s surgery was a success, but she was slightly weaker immediately following the surgery. Three days later, she had steadily improved and was discharged home to be on crate rest with restricted activity for a month.

“She’s a 6-month-old puppy so, of course, she wanted to ‘go!’ from the very beginning of her recovery,” said Pobanz-Stelter, explaining the difficulty in keeping her on inactivity and rest. “Keeping her down was near impossible. As soon as we got the go ahead for her to resume activity, she never hesitated.”

Kailana recovery also involved physical therapy where she worked on developing core strength and muscle development. She is doing well, but her owners are still working on it. Now, she enjoys spending time ‘romping’ through the backyard and chasing other dogs, wrestling, and playing fetch.

Reference

1. Warren R. Dog on Brink of Paralyzation Walks After Neurosurgery at UC Davis. School of Veterinary Medicine. November 24, 2025. Accessed December 5, 2025. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/index.php/news/dog-brink-paralyzation-walks-after-neurosurgery-uc-davis