An Inspirational Dog Story

The Miracle of Bubba

by Joe Flynn

Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE)

Canine fibrocartilaginous embolism, better known as canine FCE, is not a term widely known by most dog owners; however, all dog owners will find this story riveting as they will learn and witness what can be accomplished when the love of an owner for his dog combined with man’s best friend loyally work in unison.

What is a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE)?

FCE is the functional equivalent of a stroke in the spinal cord rather than the brain.
It is a sudden blocking of an artery or vein of the spinal cord by a clot of foreign material.
FCE is often associated with strenuous exercise and/or trauma. It can appear rapidly without any warning. After the initial pain of trauma, an FCE is not painful but can cause weakness and paralysis (inability to move).

Causes:

The cause of FCE is thought to be a small fragment of intervertebral disc material that enters the spinal cord’s blood supply.
This causes a varying degree of damage that is dependent on what part of the spinal cord is affected.

Clinical Signs:

Signs can affect one or several limbs of the body. These signs can range from gait abnormalities to complete paralysis, with fecal and urinary incontinence.
FCE signs develop over a moment, minutes to hours, and typically stabilize within the first twenty-four hours.
Pain may be present immediately following the embolic event but then subsides.

After initial medical management, intensive nursing care and physical therapy are required. The goal is to maintain muscle tone while the spinal cord tissue heals.

Prognosis:

The severity of neurologic dysfunction, the amount of disc material that has embolized, the degree of accompanying spinal cord swelling, the location of the spinal cord infarction, the overall physical condition of the patient (dog).

In general, the ability to perceive deep pain in the affected limb(s) and tail remains the major prognostic indicator. Even if paralysis is complete, the perception of deep pain remains the key to determining if permanent damage has occurred. This means that, even if paralysis has occurred, if the conscious perception of deep pain is intact, a functional recovery is anticipated. The time required for recovery and the degree of neurologic improvement are quite variable. Two to three weeks to begin recovery with most or a portion of clinical function restored by four months. Diligent physical therapy and good nursing care are important for recovery.

Rehab

Finding the right rehabilitation facility for Bubba was difficult as there are only a handful of FCE rehab clinics for dogs and cats in the country. Not only was Bubba paralyzed from the neck down, it took a team of 2-3 people to transport him and work his muscles for him so atrophy didn’t set in. The technicians at the vet hospital and rehab clinics were some of the most passionate and caring people I have met. Was that going to be a enough to help Bubba regain his ability to walk? With a compassionate and professional staff, Bubba’s energizing instinct for hunting, retrieving and swimming, all we could do was hope and pray that combination would bring Bubba to walk again. We needed a miracle.