All Eyes on Bette Davis: Herniated Disc to Full Recovery!

When Bette Davis was presented to Pet+E.R as a down back dog in late January, she was quickly referred to VNIoC. The adorable Havanese mix was experiencing progressive back pain and back arching that was being medically managed by her primary care veterinarian, but it had progressed to being considered non-ambulatory paraparesis. 

Diagnosis: Disc Herniation at L4-5, with Hemorrhage from L4-L6

This MRI image shows spinal cord compression at L4-6 with hemorrhage. The arrow is pointing to the surgical site, L4-5.

During the same day emergency consultation, Dr. Julianna Mannix ordered a thoracolumbosacral MRI. The diagnosis was immediately clear: a disc herniation at L4-5 with hemorrhage from L4-L6 was causing her clinical signs.

Treatment: Emergency Hemilaminectomy

Dr. Mannix performed an emergency hemilaminectomy on Bette’s fifth birthday. Bette did well throughout the surgery. Post-operative treatment included bladder care, in-hospital rehabilitation (both laser and physical therapy), and IV and oral medication administration. 

Recovery and At-Home Care

When she was ready to go home, Bette’s parents were counseled on bladder care, at-home rehab exercises and general post-operative care. In cases like Bette’s, activity restriction and surgical site maintenance is important, especially making sure the site stays clean and keeping the pet clean without a full bath.

Since post-surgery, Bette had a possible UTI, her bladder status was monitored. She was given antibiotics to take at home to resolve any possible infection. She otherwise recovered normally. At her two-week recheck she was walking well and no further follow-up was needed.