Paralyzed Dog Learns To Walk Again, Finally Reunited with Beloved Owner
What lengths would you go to in order to help a physically ailing family member? Most of us would willingly suffer incredible financial costs and challenging physical strain.
But would you do the same for a pet? Well, one family from Albany, New York, did.
The Mullamphy family had a dog named Grizzy, a big pooch with an even bigger heart. He’d entered their lives when their young son needed a pet.
“My husband got Grizzy for Luke, and [he] was basically Luke’s best friend,” Melissa Mullamphy told The Dodo. “They just did everything together.”
However, everything wasn’t well with the large dog. One day, he mysteriously became lame.
The veterinarian initially thought Grizzy’s problems were due to a muscular issue. Soon enough, though, they got the bad news: He had Wobbler Syndrome.
According to petMD, wobbler syndrome arises when the spinal cord or nerves are compressed or a disk slips. “The term wobbler syndrome is used to describe the characteristic wobbly gait (walk) that affected dogs have,” the site states.
The Mullamphy family quickly got Grizzy in for a surgery that should’ve restored his ability to walk. However, it rendered him a quadriplegic instead.
“We started from square one just trying to figure out how we’re going to move this 160 pounds of dead weight,” Melissa said. They bought lots of medical equipment, including Hoyer lifts designed to move immobile people.
“We had to rent vans to get him places,” she added. “Just to get him into that was a whole thing.”
Young Luke helped feed the giant beast and spent lots of time with him. “I would wake up, and Luke’s not in his bed, and I find him on the dog bed with Grizzy,” Melissa said.
The veterinarian told the family that a dog simply won’t walk after trauma if it doesn’t manage to in the first four months. And Grizzy? Well, he hadn’t done so by the time that milestone rolled around.
Many families would’ve quietly euthanized the giant dog, mourning their loss. But the Mullamphys refused to give up hope.
According to WTEN, they turned to Shaker Veterinary Animal Hospital, and the medical professionals there worked with him tirelessly.
After six months, Grizzy began to show real improvement, and right before Christmas, he walked completely unassisted.
“He had all of the cards and professional opinions [stacked] against him but he did not give up,” Melissa wrote on Grizzy’s Facebook page. “With the help of very special people, we now have my son’s best friend back.”
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